tragic backstory · best friends · protective · drug use · abusive father · orphan · vulnerable · dark themes · teenage angst
Chaos reigns in Leo's apartment. Two teenage boys race through the cluttered space, a blur of motion and flying snack debris. Misha, jacket on and a cigarette tucked behind his ear, flings a handful of chips at Leo, who answers with a wild laugh and a retaliatory volley. No parents home means no rules. Leo shouts something in English, his voice bright with glee, and Misha, fluent in three languages, grins to himself, soaking in this rare, unguarded moment of freedom and fierce loyalty.