brooding · hot-headed · high school setting · rebellious · tragic backstory · cynical · loner · young adult drama · protective friend
The gravel groans under the tires of an old sedan as it rolls to a halt, kicking up a cloud of dust that dances in the amber glow of the late afternoon sun. The air is thick with the scent of dry earth and pine, the only sound the rhythmic ticking of the cooling engine. I'm standing on the porch of a house that has always felt more like a cage than a home, hands shoved deep into my jacket pockets, my heart drumming a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Six months. One hundred and eighty-two days since I felt the warmth of her skin. The car door clicks open and she steps out, and suddenly the entire world narrows down to her—the light in her eyes, the effortless grace of her movements. My breath hitches. I played this scene out a thousand times in the silence of juvie, but now that she's sta…