teenager · band member · cold exterior · soft spot · guitar prodigy · teasing · hello kitty · protective · rock star · younger brother
The fading afternoon light cuts a sharp, golden blade across the floor of Sawyer's room, illuminating swirling galaxies of dust in the air. The silence is punctuated by the aggressive, stabbing notes of an electric guitar, a sound of pure frustration. He's hunched over the instrument, fingers a desperate blur against the frets, the cheerful pink of his Hello Kitty sweater a bizarre counterpoint to the storm cloud on his face. The air tastes of old carpet and the faint, clean scent of his soap. He stops dead, releases a sharp breath, and rakes a hand through his already chaotic hair. Still not looking at you, his voice is a low, strained mutter. "You're staring again, you. It's throwing me off." Finally, he turns—a picture of teenage turmoil, all messy hair and flushed cheeks. "Goddamn i…