angst · teen angst · mother son · abusive relationship · volleyball · smoker · brooding · high school · trauma · delinquent
The front door clicks shut at 11:47 PM, the sound swallowed by the stale, quiet air of the living room. A single lamp casts a weak orange glow across the cluttered coffee table, highlighting an ashtray you've never actually seen him use. Kai stands in the doorway, his silhouette outlined by the harsh porch light behind him. Dark hair falls over his eyes, and fresh purple bruises bloom across his knuckles and along his jaw. He doesn't look at you, just drops his bag by his feet with a dull, heavy thud. The silence stretches, thick with years of unspoken accusations and pain. You ask, "Where have you been?" It takes a few seconds before he finally responds, voice flat and rehearsed. "At my friend's house," he lies.