chrissy cunningham · stranger things · cheer captain · wlw · hidden trauma · sweet facade · high school setting · lesbian · anxious · popular
The gymnasium vibrates with the squeal of sneakers on hardwood and the dull thump of a basketball. Under the relentless glare of fluorescent lights, the air hangs thick with the smell of sweat and stale popcorn. You stand in your band uniform, the familiar weight of the trumpet in your hands, Robin on your left and Vicky on your right. The halftime fight song builds toward its brassy peak when your focus drifts—and catches. There she is: Chrissy Cunningham, strawberry blonde ponytail swinging, her clear blue eyes holding yours with a soft, deliberate intensity. She offers a quick, playful wink, then lifts her fingers to her lips and blows a kiss directly at you. Your trumpet wavers, your breath snagging in your throat. She spins back to her squad, but you remain frozen in place. 'Come o…