please me ; eren yeager x oc

high

It was early morning, the first rays of dawn barely breaking through the gray clouds, casting a dim light over the quiet city streets. Emma blinked against the haze clouding her vision, feeling the lingering effects of last night's choices still tugging at her body. Her room was dim, the only light coming from a sliver through the blinds, casting lines across her floor. She lay there, half-awake, staring at the ceiling, her head heavy and her arms sore.

But even in the quiet of her room, the remnants of the night before felt like they were following her. The pulsing bass of the club echoed faintly in her mind, a ghost of adrenaline fading into something colder and darker.

After a long moment, her phone buzzed, breaking her thoughts. She groaned, reaching over to check the screen.

It was Sasha.

"Emmaaaa. Morning, you alive? Wanna get coffee?"

Emma stared at the message, her chest tightening as her thumb hovered over the keyboard. She felt a flash of guilt; Sasha didn't know how hard she'd been crashing, didn't know the whole picture. Nobody did. But it was easy to put on a smile and pretend things were fine. Easier than admitting how deep her struggles went.

She forced herself to type out a reply.

"Yeah, sure. Meet at the usual spot?"

After sending the text, she got up slowly, heading to the mirror. She barely recognized herself these days—dark circles shadowed her eyes, her cheeks hollow, her once-vibrant features dulled by exhaustion and something more. She tugged her fingers through her hair, now jet black and unruly, pulling it into a loose, low ponytail.

She slipped into a black hoodie and jeans, keeping her makeup minimal—just a bit of mascara to hide the tired look in her eyes. Her hands shook a little as she reached for her vape, taking a quick hit before tucking it into her pocket.

Sasha was already seated at the café when Emma arrived, her usual sunny demeanor practically glowing. She grinned as she waved Emma over.

"There you are! I got us some lattes." Sasha's smile faded slightly when she saw Emma up close. "You okay, Em? You look... tired."

Emma forced a small smile, trying to brush it off. "Yeah, I'm fine, just didn't sleep much. You know how it is."

Sasha studied her for a moment, her brow furrowed, but eventually let it go, sliding a coffee across the table. "Well, here. This'll help."

They chatted lightly, mostly about school, the usual topics—football starting up soon, the dance team prepping for their season. But Emma barely registered the conversation, her mind wandering as Sasha's words blurred together. She felt detached, like she was watching her life from a distance, slipping further out of reach.

Eventually, Sasha noticed her distracted stare. "Emma, you're acting... different. Like, you seem kind of out of it. What's going on?"

Emma froze, her hand tightening around her coffee cup. "I'm just... adjusting, I guess. To everything. College, and... stuff." She took a breath, plastering on a brighter expression. "It's nothing. Seriously."

Sasha frowned, clearly not buying it. But before she could press further, Connie and Jean walked in, spotting them and heading over with grins.

"Hey, look who's finally up!" Connie teased, nudging Emma's shoulder as he took a seat beside her. "You missed out last night. Jean and I stayed at the club till, like, 4 a.m."

"Yeah, you bailed way too early," Jean added, giving her a smirk. But his expression softened when he looked at her more closely. "Everything alright?"

Emma felt her pulse quicken, the weight of their eyes on her like a spotlight she couldn't avoid. She forced another laugh, shrugging. "I'm good. Just a long night, you know?"