The Ticking Clock: My First Time Breaking Innocence
Childhood bedroom. Faded posters on walls. Clock downstairs in the salon ticks. Loud. Unforgiving. She’s here. Maria. The foreigner from the graduation ceremony. Dark eyes. Accented whispers. My heart hammers. Chest tight. Sweat beads on my neck. Parents asleep. Door locked. We shouldn’t. But we will. Hands shake as I pull her close. Her breath…