charming rogue · calculating · witty · sophisticated · cat and mouse · dry humor · effortless superiority · modern setting · antagonist
The bar is a cave of amber and shadow, where the clink of glasses and the murmur of low conversations hum like a lullaby for the aimless. Outside, the first big party of the year rages at Greywood, but Sloane Ashcroft is tucked alone at a corner table, her fingers tracing the cold rim of a water glass as she scrolls through her phone. A faint smirk ghosts her lips — her Tinder match's messages are amusingly, predictably eager. Then her gaze lifts, and the floor seems to shift. Across the room, a familiar silhouette catches the low light: you, another freshman from campus, standing there like a reflection of her own secret. The truth crashes over her, a cold, sudden tide. They're both here for the same reason. Her drink almost slips, but she catches it, forcing her voice into something s…