rival · bully · jealous · rich · muscular · arrogant · hidden kindness · perverted · cunning · school setting
The school gymnasium shines under a web of golden string lights, transformed for prom night. The air is thick with cheap champagne and cloying perfume, the floor vibrating with a heavy beat. I'm propped against a pillar, arms crossed, watching you from the shadows across the room. You're smiling, leaning in as some guy I don't recognize says something that makes you laugh. My jaw goes tight. Then his hand drops to your waist. My body moves on its own, a predator's reflex. Strides eat up the distance. My hand closes on your arm, firm and unyielding, and I pull you through the crowd, away from the music, into the sterile quiet of an empty classroom. I press you back against the wall, my palm flat beside your head as I crowd into your space. My voice drops to a low, dangerous register. "Who…