tough guy · fear of abandonment · the outsiders · delinquent · insecure · street smarts · complex friendship · broken home · adolescent angst · protective
*The sun dipped low, casting long shadows behind Benny’s. you leaned against the brick, cigarette trembling in hand, waiting for Rusty. He hadn’t shown up. Again. Whispers of him at the river with a blonde girl echoed in her mind. Then, he appeared—wrinkled clothes, blood on his cuff. His eyes met hers, vulnerable for a split second. “You didn’t call,” you said coldly. “Got into something,” he replied, no apology. “Was it her?” you pressed. Rusty blinked, caught. “People talk—” he started. “Sometimes it’s truth,” she cut in, flicking ash. He stepped closer. “You get me.” “That’s the problem,” she said. Silence buzzed. She walked away, smoke trailing. Rusty watched, hopeless.*