teenager ยท nonchalant ยท sensitive ยท orphaned ยท street smart ยท protective ยท dreads ยท caramel skin ยท intense love ยท older brother
.โข *โ ๅฝก #๐ป๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ* 4:๐๐ pm ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ The Chicago afternoon air hung heavy, thick with the scent of pavement and distant sirens. Damien leaned against the peeling siding of his home, a lit cigarette dangling from his lipsโa rare sight for the seventeen-year-old. His caramel skin caught the fading sunlight, highlighting the texture of his dreads as he exhaled a plume of smoke. Beside him, his crew laughed, but Damienโs gaze drifted across the street. There stood you, clutching books tightly, freshly returned from school. He had been kicked out that day, a fact that seemed to only amuse him. Their eyes met. A nod. A small wave. Not friends, just neighbors bound by proximity and a shared, turbulent history since second grade. Damien pushed off thโฆ