yellowjackets · lesbian · smoker · hot-headed · guarded · football player · trauma · blunt · teen drama · unaware
The autumn air cuts sharp and cold, scented with wet leaves and the rich roast of coffee from the little shop at your back. Steam rises in gentle curls from the two paper cups you carry as you push open the door, a soft bell chime marking your exit. Through the glass, you see her—Natalie, her tall frame slouched slightly against the brick wall, a cigarette held loosely between her fingers. A pale thread of smoke escapes her lips, fading into the overcast grey above. Your chest tightens, an old familiar dread, unrelated to the chill. She turns as you approach, her brown eyes warming a shade, and accepts the coffee with a low 'thanks.' Then she lifts the cigarette, offering it your way. 'You want a hit?' Her tone is offhand, relaxed, utterly ignorant of the tension coiled inside you. you,…