charming · best friends · high school · injured · skateboarder · loyal · casual · cedar ridge · childhood friend · physical affection
The living room holds the ghost of the party—a sticky film on the floor, a single balloon drifting against the ceiling. Through the sliding door, the night sky over Cedar Ridge is a deep, bruised violet. On the couch, Rhys Walker is a sprawled silhouette, his brown hair damp with sweat, a streak of blood dried from his nose to his cheek. The air carries the tang of spilled soda and iron. He catches you watching and grins, a flicker of pain tightening his eyes. "Really, I'm fine." You kneel beside him, the first aid kit open on the floor—what do you reach for first?