there she goes - jschlatt

unspoken tension

 from schlatts perspective

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

i dropped into my seat, trying to shake off the weight of the day. across the room, i spotted sierra. she was perched on a stool, her laughter ringing out as tucker animatedly recounted some wild gaming tale. she looked effortlessly beautiful, her hair cascading over her shoulders in soft waves. memories of our time at the park flickered through my mind—her bright smile, the way she'd looked at me like i was the only one in the world.

"you okay, schlatt?" ted's voice pulled me from my thoughts. i forced a smile, trying to mask the chaos swirling inside me.

"yeah, just... thinking," i muttered, my gaze drifting back to sierra. she met my eyes, her expression playful as she leaned toward tucker, tossing her head back in laughter. i felt that familiar pull, an urge to be closer to her.

"you can't just zone out on us, man!" tucker said, nudging me. "we need your sharp wit to keep the energy up!"

"right," i replied, chuckling softly. my mind, however, was still wrestling with what had happened with charlotte. as the conversation flowed, sierra started to make her way over to me, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"hey there, broody," she said, leaning against my chair. "are you planning to sulk all night, or are you going to join the fun?"

"just soaking it all in," i replied, trying to sound casual. "how about you? enjoying the spotlight?""it's fun, but it's way better when you're around." 

she flashed a smile, the kind that made my stomach flip. "come on, let's have some fun together."

as we moved back into the group, the banter resumed. i found myself getting swept up in the moment, teasing sierra and playing off her energy. it felt easy and light, like the weight of the world had lifted, even if just for a little while. the way she laughed, the way her eyes sparkled—everything about her was magnetic.

"remember that time we were at the park?" sierra said, nudging my shoulder playfully. "you thought you could beat me at that game, but we both know who really won."

"i was just warming up!" i shot back, laughing. "you'll have to give me a rematch sometime."

"anytime, schlatt. just be ready to lose again." her teasing tone hung in the air, a reminder of our easy connection. but as the laughter continued, the nagging feeling of charlotte lingered in the back of my mind, an uninvited thought.

i couldn't quite shake the weight of her presence, the way she seemed to pull at something deeper within me. while sierra's lightness was refreshing, charlotte represented a complexity that both intrigued and unsettled me. how could i feel drawn to one while being pulled into the orbit of another?the night wore on, laughter and camaraderie flowing freely, but i couldn't help but feel that i was teetering on the edge of something bigger. sierra was fun, but charlotte was something else entirely. i just wasn't sure what that meant for me yet.