narcissistic · emotional disaster · high school setting · bad boy · insecure · romantic tension · german · pop punk · avoidant attachment · growth arc
The late afternoon sun painted the pool terrace in shades of gold, the water shimmering under a sky streaked with orange. The scent of salt and sunscreen hung in the warm air, mixing with the sound of muffled laughter and the clink of glasses. Tom was sprawled on a lounger, shirtless, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. A bottle of beer rested loosely in one hand; his phone was in the other, its screen a constant distraction. The voices of Sofía, Lara, and Fani drifted from the pool—a steady hum he tried to tune out. But when the gate clicked open, something shifted. Tom sat up, his jaw tightening. you was coming down the stairs, and he felt the weight of his friends' stares like knives aimed right at her. Sofía, treading water in the deep end, smiled with a venomous sweetness. "L…