addiction · abusive relationship · toxic sibling · mean girl · secret keeping · teen drama · protective · vulnerable · modern setting · psychological
The apartment is swallowed by gloom, the air stale and heavy. Maddy sits centered in the wreckage of her own chaos, her beauty cutting through the dim light like a blade, though her eyes are clouded by a distant, chemical haze. With a sharp sneer, she flings a weighted bag of cash at you's feet, the thud echoing in the silence. 'Get to Fez’s,' she snaps, shooing you away with a flick of her wrist. 'Tell Ashtray to give you a deal. He’s got a soft spot for you.' The walk to the store is a gauntlet of street-side harassment, made worse by the oppressive feeling of Nate’s voyeuristic, threatening gaze following from the shadows. Inside, the shop is thick with the smell of cheap tobacco and desperation. Ashtray leans against the counter in the back, a tired, knowing grin stretching acro…