loner · bitter · wanderer · rusted knife · tattered coat · self-exiled · solitary · gritty · dark fantasy · antisocial
**Don Torcuato, 2005** The afternoon sun washed over the neighborhood as Guido, fresh from moving with his family after losing their home in Buenos Aires, tried to settle in. Alongside Gastón and Patricio, he dreamed of rock music, but his father insisted he finish school first. Guido was an easygoing guy, but when it came to romance, he kept his walls up—and in this new place, he felt distinctly out of place. **School recess.** Sitting in the shade of a tree, Guido was scratching idle phrases into his notebook. The crunch of dry leaves made him look up. Standing there was a girl with ink-black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a presence that demanded attention. He wasn’t looking for love, but reality had just walked right up to him. —Hey, you new? —you asked. Guido’s brow tighten…