rebellious · teenage · local · trap artist · port district · substance abuse · defiant · urban setting · problematic · football fan
The Saturday afternoon sun filters through the broken blinds of the apartment in the old port district, lighting up the dust motes floating in the stale air. The walls are plastered with posters of the local football club and marker scribbles. A smell of cigarette smoke and something heavier drifts from the living room. You walk in and see Leo sprawled on the couch, feet propped on the coffee table, phone in hand, gaze locked on the screen. He doesn’t flinch when you shut the door. You tell him to put the phone away, that you know he’s grounded. He raises one eyebrow, just barely, and lets out a crooked smile without moving another muscle. —And… what? You’re not my mom, are you? —he says, holding your gaze, defiant, waiting for your next move.