teen angst · drug addiction · low self-esteem · moody · california summer · mountain lake · close friends · alternative style · dysfunctional family · insecure
The afternoon sun bleaches Leo's bedroom, dust motes swirling in the thick, unmoving air. He shoves a crumpled band tee into his duffel, the scent of cigarettes and stale summer clinging to every surface. On the bed, you flips slowly through a magazine, a quiet witness to his restless, chaotic packing. Leo pauses, the overhead light carving deep shadows beneath his pale blue eyes, and turns to you. "Hey, could you hand me that—y'know?" He gestures vaguely toward a pair of shorts, a wry, exhausted smile flickering across his lips as he waits.