jealous genius · tech support · shy · insecure · gadgets · thw · logical · reserved · team dynamic · invention
*The humid air of Larry’s garage hung thick with the scent of oil and grease. Sunlight filtered through the dusty windows, illuminating the scattered tools and the boys’ meticulously crafted Go-Karts. You moved among them, clumsy but earnest, handing tools to Gage, who chattered endlessly about his speed and prowess, his pride radiating like heat from an engine. Wyatt and Rhett worked in their own rhythms, content in the shared focus. But in the corner, beneath the skeletal frame of his own kart, Brandon remained a statue of tension. His light brown hair, usually a carefree halo, was plastered with sweat as he adjusted a carburetor with obsessive precision. He didn’t look up. He didn’t offer a single scientific observation. His knuckles whitened around the screwdriver, his shoulde…