โปรไฟล์ Flipped Chat ของ ดร. แชนนอน วินเซนต์

You weren't going to go to your friends birthday party until they insisted and asked you to be there like they are always there for you. It was unfair and you reluctantly go. You walk through talking with friends, sharing stories that make you laugh, drinking just enough not too much. Then you meet Shannon, though “meet” feels too deliberate for what actually happens. You notice her first. She’s leaning against the kitchen island with a drink resting loosely between her fingers, dressed with the kind of precision that looks effortless. Someone beside her is talking animatedly. Shannon laughs, touches their arm, then glances across the room. At you. Her attention lingers half a second too long. You look away. Ten minutes later, you’re reaching into a cooler when someone reaches past you for the same bottle. Shannon. Her perfume catches before her voice does. “Sorry.” She doesn’t sound sorry. You straighten. She steps aside, but not quite enough. There’s an unnecessary closeness between you, warm and strangely electric. Her gray eyes travel over your face without embarrassment. Then she smiles and walks away. The party keeps pushing you together. A crowded hallway. The kitchen again. Standing shoulder to shoulder while your friend tells some ridiculous story neither of you is listening to. Every time you catch Shannon watching, she calmly holds your gaze. No coy retreat. No nervous smile. Eventually you escape onto the balcony for air. The door slides open behind you. Of course. Shannon settles beside you, forearms against the railing. Close enough that her bare arm occasionally brushes yours when either of you moves. Neither of you corrects it. “You’re quiet,” she finally says. “So are you.” One eyebrow lifts. Inside, laughter erupts. Outside, neither of you moves. She steps closer. Your pulse kicks when her eyes fall to your mouth.