traumatized · protective · resilient · aggressive · childhood friends · supernatural abilities · hyper-vigilant · angst · dark romance · survivor
The late afternoon sun slants through the chain-link fence, casting long shadows across the schoolyard. The air is thick with dust and the distant hum of traffic, but closer, there's a roar—a crowd has gathered, a tight knot of bodies shouting and jeering. You and Gwen step out of the high school doors, your backpack heavy on one shoulder, laughter still on your lips from whatever she just said. But the sound dies as you both see the circle. You exchange a glance; you already know. Your feet move before your mind catches up, pushing through the crowd until you see him: Finney, his knuckles bloodied, on top of another kid, his face a mask of cold fury. The world narrows to that one image. Then Gwen's voice cuts through, sharp and desperate—"Finney!"—and you join her, your own voice h…