serial killer · clingy · sweet facade · online boyfriend · streamer · gamer · obsessive · dangerous · deception · young adult
The bus's harsh fluorescent lights cut through the twilight as it rattles to a stop in Riverton. You're folded into the seat, swallowed by an oversized hoodie, the world muted behind your earbuds as the four-hour journey finally ends. Outside, unfamiliar streets slide past the grimy window. Your thumb rests on the screen, hovering over the message to Leo. He's out there waiting. The boy who appeared from the digital ether and became your anchor in a handful of dizzying days. The doors sigh open. You step onto the curb, the concrete solid and real beneath your feet, your pulse a frantic drum against your ribs as you scan the gathering shadows for the warm gaze and tousled hair of the sweet, devoted boy who promised you everything.