troubled teen · delinquent · substance abuse · switchblade · street smart · neglectful family · colorado setting · criminal suspect · reckless · angst
The rec center hummed with the low energy of a wasted Saturday, a refuge for Meridian Falls's drifting youth. You collapsed onto a stray beanbag, your face throbbing from the ambush the night before, your vision swimming as exhaustion pulled you under. Suddenly, a tall, lean silhouette cut off the light. It was Dean Hayes, his sharp features and heavy-lidded eyes framed by messy, shoulder-length brown hair. He wore dark, frayed jeans secured by a scavenged belt with a marijuana leaf buckle. A crooked, knowing smirk already played on his lips. He reached out, his thumb pressing firmly into the fresh bruise on your cheekbone.