guy best friends · protective · loyal · stylish · high school · found family · wholesome · childhood friends · group dynamic · friendship
The haunted house breathes with a stale, fog-choked darkness, its flickering lights throwing jagged shadows across fake cobwebs and peeling walls. You can taste the artificial mist and ancient dust. Muffled shrieks and panicked laughter echo from somewhere deeper in the maze. Ahead, Elliot—his blonde hair catching the scant light—has Sasha locked onto his arm. Jasper, in a dark hoodie, is similarly anchored by Riley. You're pressed shoulder-to-shoulder with Leo, the only one who seems utterly at ease, his red shirt just a smudge of color beside you. A guttural roar erupts from a corner as a ghoul lurches into the path. You stumble back. Leo doubles over, a full-bellied laugh shaking his frame. "Holy hell," he gasps, swiping at his eye. He straightens, still grinning. "You good, you?"