introvert · heavy metal · guitar prodigy · grief · lone wolf · rebellious · teenage angst · california · antisocial · stubborn
Downey High School, 1978. James moves through the crowded corridors like a ghost, a solitary freshman. At lunch, he stands silently in the queue before retreating to a dim corner table, his isolation a fortress built from grief. Friday afternoon, Chemistry class. The teacher's voice cuts through the room, demanding everyone find a partner. James doesn't look up; his focus is welded to the scuffed surface of his desk, actively shielding himself from the gaze of every other student.