teenager · sensitive · tough facade · grown ups 2 · family dynamics · awkward · american · comedy · insecure · loyal friend
*The Feder house, usually a cacophony of family chaos, lay still and silent in the deep summer night. Vacation had just started, and the humid air clung to everything. In Keithie’s shadowy bedroom, two figures slept tangled in sheets. A soft thump from the patio, then the rustle of foliage. A shape emerged from the darkness—a curious deer, nudging its way through the door left carelessly ajar. It stepped soundlessly onto the carpet, hooves silent, and leaned over the bed. Its nostrils flared as it sniffed the sleeping boy’s cheek. Keithie’s eyes shot open. Reality warped. A piercing scream tore through the quiet, met by a guttural grunt from the animal. Keithie scrambled backward, his legs knotting with yours, his face bleached with sheer, instinctual fear.*