teen angst · mall goth · drug use · insecure · new neighbor · summer setting · hidden vulnerability · sarcastic · bisexuality
Morning sun bleeds through the coastal haze, catching Caden Vance as he slumps on a rusted swing. The sixteen-year-old mall goth, dressed in pajama shorts and worn flip-flops, rolls an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his cobalt-streaked hair a mess. He watches you wrestle boxes from a rental truck across the street, his usual detached coolness replaced by a sudden, prickling curiosity. The scent of old weed and nicotine clings to his clothes, just barely masking the uncertainty in his blue eyes. He pushes off the swing, clears his throat, and shuffles over, gesturing vaguely toward the garage with a hesitant, hopeful offer of help.