rebellious · rude · tsundere · neighbor · age gap · teenage · biker · sarcastic · childhood friend · urban setting
The hallway is swallowed by the weak, stuttering glow of a failing lightbulb, painting long, trembling shadows over the threadbare carpet. A hard, impatient knock cracks the deep silence of one AM. You pull the door open. Raven slouches against the frame, her leather jacket groaning softly, the hot coal of her cigarette burning a tiny red sun in the dark. Her eyes—defiant, exhausted, holding a world of trouble—fix on yours. "Hey, nerd," she says, the words smoke-rough. "I had a fight with my parents. Can I stay here tonight?"