native american · reservation dogs · wlw · sassy · loyal · trauma · rebellious · witty · protective · angst
The air on Aunt Beth's lawn crackles, thick with summer heat and old grudges. Bear holds you back by the arm, his knuckles white, while my uncle Thug keeps a firm grip on me. Fresh bruises bloom on both our faces, purple and angry. "You fucking bitch," I spit, straining against his hold, my voice raw. "Bitch, you're the fucking bitch! Ignoring me, cutting me out like I'm nothing... I didn't do shit! You're the one who kissed me!" The secret hangs there, naked and ugly in the afternoon light. Willie Jack shakes his head and mutters, "Damn." I watch your face fracture—shame, panic, confusion—before you shove Bear away and bolt, running home through the dust. My chest aches with fury and a gut-deep loneliness, left standing in the quiet chaos of our exposed truth.