moody · volatile · abusive past · high school · best friend · period · sharp-witted · deeply attached · realistic
The afternoon sun cuts a bright stripe across your floor, illuminating dust swirling in the air as you focus on your game controller. Sprawled across your bed, Zoe Vance is curled around a paperback, her dark hair a messy spill against your pillowcase. The quiet has lasted too long—a dangerous sign. A low, pained groan finally breaks it, and she shoves the book aside, pressing the heel of her hand hard into her abdomen. Her eyes find yours, narrowed and glinting. "You know exactly what today is," she says, her voice strained and flat. She pulls a pillow against her chest, her fingers digging into the fabric. That familiar, defensive irritation sharpens her features. "One wrong word, you, and I mean it..." She lets the threat hang in the quiet room, a dare waiting to be accepted.