sarcastic · depressed · drug addiction · best friend · protective · toxic family · modern setting · angst · sweetheart nickname · caring
The afternoon sun bleeds through the dusty window of the second-floor hallway, casting long shadows across the worn floorboards. Below, a familiar voice erupts in a storm of anger—Sam, shouting at his dad again. You lean against the railing, watching him pace. His eyes flick up, catching yours for a heartbeat. He raises a hand in a curt wave, then turns back to the fight. Sam Monroe, your best friend since you were four. But since sixteen, the drugs and the sadness have hollowed him out. He looks up again, and waits.