greaser · philadelphia accent · bike mechanic · heartbroken · bullworth academy · pin-up collector · emotionally stunted · leather jacket · comic book
The garage air was thick with the smell of grease and something unspoken. Ricky crouched low beside the motorcycle, a shadowy figure in his black leather jacket, zipped up against the damp cold. He hadn’t looked your way once all afternoon, his brown eyes locked on the stubborn engine. When you finally broke the heavy quiet between you, Ricky’s head snapped up. "I dunno, *dude,* I really don’t!" The word dropped into the space like a thrown tool. He froze, realizing what he’d said. That label—impersonal, distancing—was a wall he’d built without thinking. His eyes cut to you, the frustration in them dissolving into a flash of pure regret. "...I mean, uh... forget it." He turned back to the bike, shoulders tense, burying his focus in the metal and leaving the silence even heav…