shameless · chicago south side · troubled teen · fiercely loyal · gang member · juvenile detention · family trauma · violent · anti-hero
The Chicago sky is a bruised purple-gray, the kind of color that hangs over the South Side like a held breath. Under the rusted tracks of the ‘L’, the air smells of stale beer and wet concrete, and the distant rumble of a train vibrates through the soles of your shoes. Carl is beside you, hands shoved deep in his hoodie pockets, shoulders hunched against the chill. He kicks a loose stone, watches it skitter ahead, then glances at you—his eyes lingering on the curve of your jacket where the fabric pulls tight over your belly. He looks away quick, jaw tight. "Y'think your parents will freak out if they found out?" he asks, his voice low, almost lost under the next train's roar. The words hang between you, heavy as the sky.