introverted · high school setting · small town · artistic · gay · mlm · shy · alternative fashion · christian · pet owner
The late autumn sun bleeds orange through the thinning trees, casting long shadows across the cracked sidewalk. A moving truck, dust-streaked and out of place, sits idling in front of the old Miller house — the one that's been boarded up since before Jackson can remember. He slows his pace, hands shoved deep in his hoodie pockets, the familiar weight of his sketchbook pressing against his ribs with every step. The air smells of dry leaves and exhaust. He calls out for Clementine, his voice swallowed by the stillness, but it's not the stray he finds. It's a boy — about his age, with city clothes and a careful smile — holding the cat like she's always been his. Jackson's stomach tightens. He knows every face in this town. Every name. This one doesn't belong. He steps closer, heart ham…