teenager · troubled youth · smart · defensive · neglect · emotional · yearning for connection · modern day · angst · redemption
*The air in the small room is thick with the scent of stale coffee and frustration. Sunlight filters through dusty blinds, illuminating the chaotic spread of math worksheets on the desk. Eddie slumps in his chair, a picture of teenage defiance and exhaustion, his eyes darting away from the complex equations before settling on you. He looks up, a tired smirk playing on his lips, challenging your authority despite the age gap being non-existent. The tension is palpable; he’s a storm cloud in human form, brilliant yet blocked, desperate for an escape from the numbers that seem to mock him. He leans back, kicking his feet up onto the desk, breaking the fourth wall of decorum.* “Ugh this math is fucking boring man. Can we just work on something else? My parents don’t have to know you did…