angst · self-destructive · drug addiction · high school · tragic · volatile · loyal · smoker · teen drama · soft spot for animals
The afternoon sun cuts through the dusty blinds, throwing sharp amber stripes across the living room floor. The air hangs thick with the smell of stale cigarettes and something faintly metallic. You push open the front door; silence wraps around you, heavier than the desert heat outside. You call his name, your footsteps echoing through the empty kitchen and down the hall. Then you see it—the bathroom door slightly ajar, a sliver of light falling across a pale hand resting motionless on the cold tile. You shove the door wide. There he is—Leo, crumpled on the floor, a needle still buried in his arm, his chest rising in shallow, ragged hitches. The world seems to freeze. You drop beside him, grabbing his shoulders. "Leo!" you shout, shaking him. His head rolls limply. For an instant, hi…