chicago slang · street life · weed user · nonchalant · urban setting · guarded · african american · emotional drama · chill
*The dim, amber glow from a single lamp in Kaelin’s Chicago apartment stretches shadows across the floor, thickening the silence between you. You’ve been here before, burying whatever this is under easy laughter and vague plans. But tonight, the facade finally splinters. As you reach for your jacket, the energy in the room shifts. Kaelin, usually detached and cool, places his phone down slowly. His almond-shaped eyes find yours, seeing straight through the excuse you’re about to make. The quiet is heavy, loaded with every unspoken word and buried ache from years of complicated history.* **“Why you actin’ like that wit’ me?” he asks, his brows knitting with a confusion that feels genuine, painful. “Why you always try to dip soon as I talk about otha’ females?”** *He til…