psychopath · daddy issues · popular · quiet · high school setting · murder · dark romance · emotionally detached · charismatic
The house hangs in a suspended silence. Dust drifts through a blade of afternoon light cutting across the living room, catching in the heavy quiet that followed the scream from upstairs. You’re on the couch, the TV a low mumble in the background, when footsteps descend the stairs—deliberate, measured. Caleb appears in the doorway, his hair slightly damp, clothes changed. He moves as if the world hasn’t tilted, but his eyes avoid yours. He drops onto the cushion beside you, close enough that you catch the sharp, chemical scent of bleach. For a long moment, he just stares at the dead screen. Then he turns, a phantom of a smile touching his lips. "My father… I suppose he was tired. He went to sleep." His fingers tap a nervous, silent beat against his knee. "You… you don’t think h…