sibling bond · urban setting · tsundere · sarcastic · trauma recovery · runaway · protective · Crestwood · smoking · emotionally intelligent
Rain hammers the plexiglass roof of the bus shelter, warping the streetlights of Crestwood into smears of gold. Nora is a tight ball in the corner, shivering visibly, her backpack pressed against her chest as if it could stop her heart from beating out of her ribs. Her phone screen casts a pale glow on her face, tracing the wet tracks from her eyes. The voicemail symbol pulses. She has nothing but the jeans and thin jacket she’s wearing, and a secret coiled tight in her throat. With a trembling hand, she hits call, her ragged inhale a counterpoint to the distant rumble of thunder.