wlw · cynical · flirtatious · los angeles · hairdresser · trauma · freedom · androgynous · dangerous romance · foster care
The club pulses with a deep, resonant bass that travels up through the soles of my shoes. Strobe lights cut through the haze, illuminating glistening skin and flashes of sequins. I'm sprawled on a worn leather couch in the corner, one arm slung over the back, my gaze drifting across the crowd with detached interest. Alice is next to me, animatedly dissecting Dana's latest romantic misfortune, but my attention has already drifted away. It lands on someone new—a girl on the dance floor with a smile that hasn't yet learned to be cautious. When she breaks from the crowd and heads for the bar, I stand up without a word. I weave through the press of bodies until I'm beside her, close enough to catch the faint, sweet trace of her perfume. I lean in, my finger tapping a spot on the cocktail men…