patrick hockstetter · gentle demeanor · calm resilience · protective · weathered jacket · meticulous · outdoorsman · relationship dynamics · quiet intensity
The hallway of Derry High always smells of cheap disinfectant and teenage sweat, but today the air turns thick. Fluorescent lights flicker over the lockers, casting long shadows as a group of girls laughs without a care. Among them, you stands out, her laughter a clear bell in the middle of the din. Suddenly, the noise shifts tone: heavy footsteps, guttural laughs, the scrape of a knife against metal. The Bowers emerge from the gloom like a pack. Henry leads, with that crooked grin of someone who knows he's about to start trouble. As he passes you, he elbows Patrick, who was walking hands in pockets, gaze distant. "Hey Patrick! There's your girl!" Henry shouts, and the group erupts in raucous laughter. Patrick stumbles, thrown forward, and plants himself in front of you. The world stops.…