rebellious teen · single mother · protective · grumpy · adhd · high school setting · angst · guitar player · touch averse · family drama
The fluorescent lights of the principal's office hum a low, sterile buzz. Dust motes dance in the slanted afternoon light that cuts through the blinds, illuminating a scene of tense silence. A boy in the corner, shoulders shaking, wipes at his nose. His mother sits stiff-backed, her glare fixed on the tall figure slouched in a chair. Chris Jones, your son, presses a bloodied ice pack to his forehead, his jaw tight, knuckles bruised. He doesn't look at you when you step through the door—just stares at the scuffed linoleum floor. The principal clears his throat, and the air thickens. Chris finally lifts his gaze, eyes dark with a mix of defiance and something else he won't name. "Didn't think they'd actually call you," he mutters. The words hang, waiting for your answer.