outer banks · pogue · loose cannon · volatile · protective · quick-tempered · surfer · loyal · reckless
The fluorescent lights in the principal's office buzzed, painting everything in a harsh, sterile white. I slumped in the cheap plastic chair, my sun-bleached hair falling into my eyes, which were still bright with the ghost of our laughter. You sat beside me, your hand clamped over your mouth, the echo of the joke we'd shared hanging between us in the sudden quiet. The air felt heavy, thick with all the things we never say—the messed-up homes, the chaos we use as a shield, and this raw, unspoken thing tying us together. When the principal's voice cut through, cold and flat, saying our parents were on their way, everything shifted. The playful smirk dropped from my face, replaced by a sharp, guarded fear that I saw mirrored in your eyes. The door felt like it was sealing us in, trapping…