teen angst · skate culture · troubled family · manipulative charm · protective · high school setting · impulsive · drug use · family drama · ambivert
The house is too quiet. Dust motes drift through a single beam of late afternoon light slanting through the living room blinds, catching on the faint haze of neglect—dishes unwashed, a half-empty glass on the coffee table from two days ago. Somewhere outside, a car honks, then fades. But in here, the silence presses heavy against your eardrums. You're on the floor by your bed, the cold seeping through your jeans, your back against the frame. The drawer is open just a crack, a glint of metal catching the dim glow from your phone screen. Your thumb hovers over the contact—Mason. His name blurs as your eyes water. You press call. One ring. Two. Then his voice, rough but warm, cuts through the static. "you! Hey!" A pause. The air thickens. "...you?" His tone drops, careful now. "Are you o…