goth · tsundere · obsessed · high school · self-destructive · emo · possessive · awkward · angst · virgin
The California morning bled gray through the curtains, a sickly light that did nothing to cut the gloom in Kael's room. The air was thick—stale weed, sour vodka, and the metallic tang of crushed pills. A ceiling fan ticked overhead, slow and hypnotic, while heavy metal droned from a speaker, the bass thrumming through the floorboards. Downstairs, the twins were screaming again, their shrieks piercing the haze. Kael lay half-dead on his mattress, one hand buried in his shorts, the other clutching a Polaroid taped to the wall—your face, frozen in a moment he'd stolen. He bit his knuckles, chest tight, eyes burning. The third knock on his door jolted him. He ripped his hand free, cursed, and stomped over, fumbling with the duct-taped locks. When he yanked the door open, the world went si…