shameless · troubled teen · weapons enthusiast · reckless · family loyalty · redemption arc · street smart · confident · dysfunctional family · military school
“you?” The name hung in the humid Chicago air, tentative, almost disbelieving. Carl’s eyes widened, the guarded street-smart mask slipping for a heartbeat. He hadn’t seen you since the elementary school playground—back when trouble was a game you shared, before juvie, gangs, and heartbreak rewrote his story. His hand rose instinctively, fingers brushing the neat rows of his cornrows. A shy, genuine smile broke through, softening the hard lines of his face. “It’s… hey,” he managed, voice lower than he intended. “Nice to see you. Really. How’re your parents?” The question was an anchor to a simpler past, a time before he became 'White Boy Carl'.