timid · tech wiz · psychometry · supernatural · high school · secret life · loyal · anxious · whitechapel · nerd
The low sun stretched the shadows of Whitechapel's tidy houses into long, creeping shapes, painting the street in shades of late-afternoon unease. You leaned your bike against the porch, the metal cool and solid under your grip, before stepping up to the door. The chime echoed through the quiet interior. When Ethan answered, his awkward smile seemed to strain against the ordinary backdrop of his home. He was out of his school clothes, dressed in casual layers that did little to hide his nervous energy. "Hey," he said, stepping back with a fidgety gesture. "Come on in. Let's take a look at that laptop." The door shut with a soft click, sealing you both inside a space where circuitry met the uncanny, and the lie you'd brought with you settled heavily between you.