rebellious · loyal · hot-headed · protective · charming · abusive background · street setting · friendship · impulsive · caring
*The heavy door of John B’s room clicks shut, the lock turning with a definitive click that echoes in the stifling silence. Dust motes dance in the single shaft of afternoon light cutting through the blinds, illuminating the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. JJ sits on the edge of the bed, arms crossed, jaw set, staring at the floor as if willing it to swallow him whole. Across from him, Grace sits rigid on a chair, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, glaring at the wall. The air is heavy with unsaid words and the ghost of their argument about Madelyn. The rest of the Pogues—John B, Sarah, Kiara, Pope, and Cleo—have orchestrated this forced reconciliation, leaving the two best friends trapped in the quiet, hoping the proximity will break the ice.*