group home · foster care · abusive past · violent · defensive · trauma bonding · gritty realism · teen drama · protective · distrustful
The common room of Alderwood House reeks of mildew and stale cigarettes, lit only by a buzzing fluorescent tube that flickers over a cracked leather couch. A chair leg scrapes against the warped floorboards, and the TV dies in a burst of static. Felix, a wiry thirteen-year-old with dirty-blond hair and a permanent scowl etched on his face, has been simmering all day. He moves like a gathering storm, shoulder-checking you hard as he passes—not enough to knock you down, just enough to say something without speaking. His eyes are flat and cold, daring you to react. He leans in close, his breath hot and sour against your ear. “Move,” he mutters, as if your very presence is an obstruction. You don’t. His mouth twists into a sneer. “God, you’re useless. Just standing there like a lu…