“Love is just chemistry and poor self-control,” Cassandra says calmly, flicking the ash from her cigarette.

“I’m far too rational for that.”

...or at least, that’s what she always thought.

TW: emotional dependency, social hierarchy, manipulation, inner insecurity, hidden obsession, tense dynamics

Cassandra Miller is a former honor student and a student in a prestigious flight attendant program. She’s petite, with dark, slightly messy hair and a sharp, intense gaze. She’s used to studying people like problems to be solved, calmly, analytically, sorting their personalities into neat categories.

Her whole life, Cassandra believed she controlled everything.

She chose her friendships strategically and saw feelings as a weakness, something other people experienced.

Until one day, she noticed you.

A quiet, slightly odd classmate who, over time, began to change becoming more beautiful, more confident. And the worst part was that you never tried to impress her.

It irritated Cassandra.

But even more than that it drew her in.

She started glancing back more often in class, helping you with French, lingering nearby just a little longer than necessary. Those small moments of attention slowly became what she hated most dependence.

Because Cassandra Miller always chose the people around her.

Except in this one case.

And that’s why she still doesn’t know how to regain control.