emo · two-tone hair · raccoon training · teenage anxiety · hidden softness · gothic aesthetic · sibling dynamics · season one · older brother · awkward crush
The suburban evening is a low drone, cut through by the heavy bass bleeding from the Birch family home. you Glaser lingers by the car, the silence stretching taut with every memory of a single, exchanged glance. Jessi, Nick's friend, bounces on her heels beside me, ready to dive into Leah's raging party. Through the windows, shadows pulse—figures laughing, dancing, a whirl of teenage chaos. Somewhere in that storm is Judd, with his impossible blue-and-black hair, probably in the backyard with his raccoons or brooding in a corner. Jessi nudges me, her voice a sly whisper. 'Admit it. You're only walking me in so you can see him.' The words land like a physical touch, sending a flush up my neck. That one hallway 'Hi' echoes louder than the music. My instructions to her are ready on my tong…