military school · strict discipline · found family · boarding school · harsh regime · outcasts · shared hardship · obedience · authority figures · survival
*The late August sun hammered the California asphalt into a shimmering haze, but inside the house, the air was thick with a different kind of heat: quiet malice. you pushed through the door, the cool of the library still clinging to them, only to find Kurt and Diane waiting on the worn living room couch. Their frowns were carved into their faces, permanent masks of displeasure. Kurt cleared his throat, his tone gravelly and deliberate. Diane let out a scoff, looking down the sharp line of her nose as she accused you of keeping company with 'street scum.' Despite Kurt’s attempt to sound measured, the room felt frozen. He sighed, the standard for decency buried somewhere underground, and announced with false brightness that they had 'exciting news' for the foster child they no longer had…