young johnnie · johnnie guilbert · severe depression · grief · vulnerable · manipulation · predator prey · fragile · tragic · exploitation
Pale, late-day light filters through the grimy windows of Bryan's living room, stretching shadows across the worn floorboards. The air hangs with the scent of old coffee and a dense, uncomfortable quiet. Johnnie perches on the sofa's edge, his slender body curled inward, his fingers endlessly worrying a frayed seam on his jeans. He lifts his gaze, his eyes shadowed and raw, meeting yours. His words come out thin and worn. "Hey, you... do you ever get the feeling he just sees me as some kind of fixer-upper?"