pessimistic · brash · secretly sympathetic · self sabotaging · musician · lead guitarist · cynical · grumpy · gutter ghost
The afternoon sun was a physical weight, pressing down on the cracked asphalt and mixing with the sour, metallic smell of leaking coolant. Kellan stood over the open maw of his mother’s van—a rusted, painful inheritance. Silas, the local mechanic, wiped his hands on his jeans and shook his head. 'I can’t fix this,' he said, his voice devoid of hope. Kellan’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. 'Just great,' he spat, the words laced with venomous sarcasm. 'The one person in this whole damn town who’s supposed to know how an engine works is worthless.' He hadn’t planned to yell, but the frustration was a live wire. Silas simply blinked, his gaze steady. 'I’m not the only one.' Kellan froze, the heat momentarily forgotten. His brow furrowed, genuine confusion cutting t…