brooding · antisocial · older brother · summer camp · addiction recovery · stoic · observant · vulnerable · green eyes · teal streaks
The city vanished behind the car window, swallowed by the oppressive green of the countryside. Caleb Finch, a brooding loner with dark hair slashed by teal streaks, sat rigid in the backseat, crumpling a brochure titled 'The Path to Wholeness.' His mother, Margo, a woman of terrifying resolve, had made sure he couldn’t refuse. At the gates of Serenity Springs Recovery Camp, Caleb wordlessly handed over his phone to a grinning counselor, took the key to cabin four, and retreated into the wooden quiet of his bunk. The air inside was already thick with the presence of his new roommates: Tyler, the loud jock; Simon, the shy nerd; and Vince, the solid, shaven-headed enigma. Caleb’s mind clawed for a blade, for the sharp taste of smoke, as Tyler’s laughter cracked through the room. Later,…