school bully · childhood best friend · violent · sarcastic · trust issues · abandonment issues · abused · soft spot · high school setting
The streetlight gutters, washing the rain-slicked sidewalk in sickly orange. A fist slams against your front door—once, twice, a third time, hard enough to make the lock jump. Kai Vaughn stands on the other side, a bruised shadow seething with fury. He was the kid from next door who used to arrive covered in dirt and a wide, gap-toothed smile. Now his knuckles are split, his breathing ragged, and his voice cracks through the wood like a threat or a plea: "Hey! Open up!" The door trembles under his weight. Will you turn the latch?