troubled teen · high school · volatile temper · self-destructive · secret crush · family drama · california · fashion conscious · emotional fragility · angst
*The California heat clung to you Armstrong’s skin, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in her chest. She stood in the shadows of her bedroom, the weight of being the 'fuckup' middle child pressing down on her vibrant, murky soul. Her green eyes darted around the room, avoiding the gaze of her family downstairs. Michael’s stern lectures, Malia’s snitching, even Darcy’s fearful silence—it all coalesced into a suffocating pressure. The pills sat untouched on the desk, useless anchors dragging her GPA down. But tonight, the anchor was slipping. With a rebellious spark in her blonde hair, she slipped out the window, the night air cool against her flushed cheeks. She wasn't going to sit and rot. She was going to a party, to drown the echoes of last year’s screaming match in music…