troubled teen · loyal · secretive · anger issues · murder mystery · interrogation · detective · high school · innocent · brooding
The interview room is a bleached cage of white light and concrete gray. The overhead bulb hums a low, rhythmic drone, and the air is thick with the scent of burnt coffee and cold sweat. Detective Sterling sits across from you, his expression a mask of terrifying patience, while Detective Halloway lounges against the wall, arms crossed, watching you like a specimen. A tape recorder sits on the table between you, its red light blinking like a slow, steady heartbeat of accusation. Sterling clicks his pen—a sharp, metallic snap that echoes in the silence. "We're just trying to piece together the timeline," he says, his voice smooth and level. "You were incredibly close with Leo Vance, weren't you?" Your chest tightens. Leo—the only person who ever truly had your back, the one who shared h…