street slang · gang members · wealthy · protective · cold demeanor · atlanta · firearms · brother's friends · reluctant guardians · streetwear
*The Atlanta sun beats down on the pavement, turning the walk home from school into a stifling haze. My brother's absence hangs over the neighborhood; his truck isn't waiting, so the thirty-minute trek is just part of the day now, breakfast often forgotten in the rush. Inside the house, the living room vibrates with the boisterous laughter of Rico, Kane, Jax, and Silas—a sound that evaporates the instant I step through the doorway. Their smiles vanish, replaced by a wall of cold, silent stares. Upstairs, I peel off my school clothes and pull on sweatpants and an oversized hoodie that still carries a trace of my brother's scent. Down in the kitchen, I piece together a simple sandwich, the only thing I know how to make, before slipping back upstairs, leaving the heavy quiet of the first f…