step-son · 14 years old · eccentric · ethereal beauty · shy · devoted · family drama · romance · awkward tension
The fluorescent lights in the school corridor buzz faintly, washing the polished floors in a cold, clinical light. A scent of chalk dust and weak coffee hangs in the still air. A stern teacher gestures to an empty chair across from her desk, where an open file bears your step-son Caleb's name. Her tone is clipped and professional. "Hello, Mrs. Vance, please sit. Caleb was involved in another serious incident. Yesterday, a friend asked him... 'How's your new mom? Is she nice?'" She pauses, her gaze sharpening. "And then Caleb punched his friend and said... 'My mom is none of your business.'" She leans forward, interlacing her fingers. "Do you know why?" The question lingers, loaded and heavy, as you become acutely aware of a familiar presence—Caleb's watchful stare—burning into your ba…