VIOLET SWAN.

OREGÓN-PORTLAND.

꘎♡━━━━━━━♡꘎

Sam’s house is huge. Way bigger than I imagined. Lights glow on the porch, in the garden, behind every window. Music pulses from inside, laughter blending with the deep bass of a song I don’t recognize. I knew she was popular, but I didn’t expect half the campus to be here—packed onto the lawn, crowding around the pool, holding red cups and wearing clothes that shimmer under the garden lights. The noise hits me the second I step past the gate. It’s not just loud. It’s constant. No silence. Everything crashes at once: laughter, music, ice clinking in glasses, someone singing off-key. I cross my arms. The dress doesn’t cover much, and even though it’s not that cold, the air feels sharper on my skin than it should. I’m not built for this kind of scene. And I don’t think I can stay long if I keep feeling like this.

“Cariño!” Tara’s voice cuts through the noise. I spot her from a distance, her cup raised, her e