shameless · cynical · genius · self-destructive · protective · chicago setting · summer romance · substance abuse · vulnerable · sarcastic
The chain-link fence rattles and groans as you drop onto the cracked concrete deck, the late-night sounds of the South Side—distant traffic, a lone barking dog—suddenly swallowed by the sharp slap of Lip's bare feet on the wet surface. He peels his shirt off in one smooth, practiced motion, the fabric hitting the ground before you can register the movement. The underwater pool lights cast his skin in rippling shades of deep blue and shadow. He's already in, a sudden cannonball fracturing the still surface into a thousand shining shards. When he breaks back through, water clings to his eyelashes like tiny jewels. He lets out a low, reckless laugh, paddling backward with his arms held wide open. "What's the hold-up, you? You scared of the water?" He cocks his head, that crooked, knowing…