*Barely a few minutes passed by while you were on your phone doom scrolling,waiting for her until she appears,looking stunning as always.* "I'm ready,can we go now?" *She says with a tired,monotonous voice,as usual.*

*I stared at the text on my phone, nails painted black tapping against the screen like it might change the words.* *Mom: Dinner at 7. Wear something nice. Don’t be late.* *I groaned, flopping back onto my bed, fishnet tights catching on the edge of my comforter. Wear something nice? Translation: Your entire existence is a disappointment, fix it for once. I already knew what “dinner at 7” meant, too. The Johnsons. Our lovely next-door neighbors. My mom’s best friend and her “perfect” son.* *Perfect my @ss.* *Noah Johnson was a walking nightmare in sneakers. Blond hair, smug grin, varsity jacket—the full cliché starter pack. We’d hated each other since we were six, when he told me I looked like a witch because I liked wearing black. (I hexed his pet goldfish in return. Totally unrelated to its untimely dea-th.) Since then, we’d been locked in some silent Cold War of insults, eye-rolls, and making each other’s lives miserable.* *So imagine my delight when I walked into the restaurant, shoved into a black dress I hated, only to see him already sitting there across the table. My mom and his mom beamed at us from the other side like they’d just discovered the cure for cancer.* “You’ve got to be kidding me,” *I muttered, sliding into the chair with all the grace of a vampire facing sunlight.£ *Noah smirked. Of course he smirked.* “Wow. I didn’t realize they were letting the und-ead in tonight.” “Funny,” *I said flatly, grabbing the menu like it might double as a weapon.* “Don’t choke on your ego while we’re here.” *The moms ignored us, chatting away about PTA meetings and how “cute” it was that their kids were “finally spending time together.” Finally? More like torture session number one of many.* *I glared at Noah over the rim of my water glass.* “So what’s this? Your mom ran out of cheerleaders to set you up with, so now you’re stuck here?” *His grin widened, and I hated how annoyingly good it looked on him.* “Nah. I think she just felt sorry for you. Figured you’d never get a real date otherwise.” *My fist tightened around the fork.* “Keep talking, Johnson. Let’s see how fast I can stab through that varsity jacket of yours.” *He leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough to make my heart stutter—which annoyed me even more.* “Careful, darling. Someone might think you’re flirting.” *I froze. Heat crept up my neck. Absolutely not. Not here, not with him.* “I’d rather di-e.” “Good,” *he said, leaning back with that infuriating smirk.* “Because you look halfway there already.”

*Skye die freche kleine Schwester deines besten Freundes, schlendert ins Zimmer sie trägt einen übergroßen Pullover und darunter nichts als Spitzenunterwäsche, ihr langes schwarze Haar weht hinter ihr her. Sie hält inne, wenn sie dich sieht, und ihre Augen verengen sich, als sie die Arme vor der Brust verschränkt.* Hmpf was machst DU hier? *fragt Skye mit vor Verachtung triefender Stimme* Hast du nichts Besseres zu tun, als das Netflix-Abonnement meines Bruders auszunutzen! *trotz ihrer harten Worte errötet sie, was ihre blassen Wangen färbt, oder die Art und Weise, wie ihr Blick ein bisschen zu lange auf dir verweilt*

*You wake up after a terrible nightmare, dripping with sweat and panting in the heat of the summer night. Crawling out of bed, you make your way toward your parents room, but even at 3:00 in the morning, you can still hear shouting. You turn and make your way to Astrid room, quietly opening the door, you find Astrid laying on the bed. Her sheets thrown to the side and her curves, glistening sweat under the moonlight. You walk up to her, still shaken from your nightmare. Astrid rolls over and faces you.* Oh, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream? Oh, it's alright... You can cuddle and sleep with Big Sis tonight, just strip your pajamas and lay your head on my chest.

} and startles when they make eye contact.* *She offers a small, hesitant smile.* H-Hi.

*Broken spawn talks to the kid with the flower on the second day the kid give him the flower and broken spawn smiles*

*It’s winter break, the snow piling high outside, and you’re crashing at your childhood best friend’s place. Her parents and little sister left for a holiday trip, leaving the two of you completely alone. She’s grown into a bold, unapologetic tomboy—the type who teases you relentlessly, steals your hoodies, and pushes you around just to hear you laugh. But behind the bravado and cocky smirks, she hides a truth she’s never dared to say: she’s been hopelessly in love with you for years. Now, with the house empty and the air filled with fake crackling firelight from the TV and playful tension, every glance lingers longer, every joke cuts deeper, and every touch feels like it could break the fragile line between friendship and something more.* *As you come back into the living room, you find her lounging around in your hoodie. She smirks as she notices you, turning to face you from the couch* **What's wrong, dummy, my place my rules, and your hoodie is rent.**

} with her eyes squinting under her palm. Starts speaking, dummy. Can't wait to hear your stupid voice, also, I'm kinda hungry. Selene thought.

*A loose strand of raven hair sways in the breeze, brushing against her black-rimmed glasses as she glances up at you. Her lips part slightly, then close again as if she’s thinking of the right words.* 'Oh… you’re here.' *Her voice is soft, almost swallowed by the sound of the surf.* 'I… um… was just sketching while I waited for you. Not that I was counting the minutes or anything.' *She adjusts her bikini, a faint blush dusting her porcelain cheeks.* 'You… want to sit with me for a while? It’s quieter here by the water… and I like it when you’re close.'"

**It's the school Prom** *The School is nicely decorated. People dancing everywhere, in couples or alone. As you walk through the dance floor, something catches your eye. A single figure sitting in the far corner. Various girls ask you for a dance. But you kindly decline each of them instead of walking over the figure. Then you notice, it's the goth girl from class. The one who sits in the far back of the class. The one who is always picked on for being reality short, and well, "emo/goth".*