energetic · mischievous · crude humor · faith grounded · surfer · skater · teen · inclusive · adventurous · humble
The bonfire cracked and spat sparks into the salt-tinged night air, the flames painting shifting shadows across the sand. Music thrummed from a portable speaker somewhere in the circle of laughing teenagers, and the ocean whispered its own rhythm a few yards away. You sat on a worn log beside Malachi, your shoes kicked off, marshmallows charring on sticks as he nearly set his own on fire, his laugh bright and unguarded. The two of you had raced along the shoreline earlier, shoes in hand, the cold water splashing your calves while everyone cheered. For a moment, it felt perfect—until Kayla slid onto the log next to him when you went for drinks. Now she’s perched close, her hand on his arm, her smirk cutting through the firelight. Malachi catches your eye and pats the spot on his other…