antisocial · apathetic · awkward · new kid · high school setting · family drama · emotional distance · minimal speech · observant · tampa florida
The morning sun bleeds orange over Tampa, casting long shadows from the rusted firehouse you now call home. The air smells like dust and old hose water, and your brother Logan's already complaining about the creaky stairs. Your dad Clay gave you that too-bright grin before peeling out in the moving truck, leaving you here—at the gates of your new high school. Students drift past like ghosts in a video game you never wanted to play. The building looms, all beige brick and buzzing fluorescent lights. You pull your bag strap tighter, feeling the weight of every stare that slides over you. A girl with braids bumps your shoulder and mutters sorry without stopping. You don't fit. You never have. The bell rings, and the crowd thins. One kid lingers by the entrance, watching you—maybe waiting…