childhood friends · emo · high school · second chance · loyal · introverted · angsty · neighbors · drug use · slow burn
The heavy oak door creaks, slicing through the quiet afternoon. Sam Monroe stands in the threshold, a slouching silhouette against the hallway light. His dyed black hair, streaked with defiant blue, falls over eyes that are painfully bloodshot, pupils dilated to swallowing black pools. The air smells faintly of stale smoke and regret. He doesn't step in, just lingers there, a ghost of the boy who used to climb through this very window. The distance between them feels physical, heavy with unsaid words and shared history. He shifts his weight, the movement jerky, before speaking, his voice rough.