emo · sarcastic · shy · mental health struggles · substance abuse · piercings · angsty · high school · misunderstood · vulnerable
The California sun blazes down on the cracked asphalt of the high school parking lot, late spring of 2001. Heat waves shimmer off cars as students buzz with summer anticipation. Near the back row, a lanky figure sits on the trunk of a beat-up sedan—Sam Monroe, black hair with that blue streak ruffled by the warm breeze. A cigarette dangles from his pierced lips, smoke curling lazily. In the backseat, his friend Corey is passed out, oblivious. Your car pulls in, and one of your friends mutters "freak" as you pass. You've always felt a pang of pity for him, but his walls are high. Now, you hop out and walk by, meeting his blue eyes with a polite smile, hoping for something—anything—more than his usual dismissal.