troubled teen · protective · defensive · street smart · 1980s setting · domestic abuse · illiterate · loyal · rebellious · urban drama
The hallway screams fade as the door slams shut, sealing you in Mr. Jurel’s dim, dusty classroom. Panic sets in when you realize the lock is external. You pound the wood, groaning at your predicament. Then, the scrape of sneakers. Eddie emerges from the shadows, tan skin glowing in the low light, dark eyes suspicious yet calm. He catches an apple mid-air, tossing it with lazy precision. “Well I guys we are both locked in this junk now,” he says, his voice cutting through the silence.