teen angst · fear of abandonment · violent tendencies · clingy · alternative rock · high school · mentally ill · protective · lonely · dark romance
The February cold seeps through a cracked windowpane, carrying the muffled drone of a television from next door. Silas's room is a cavern of accumulated chaos—posters curling away from the walls, slumped plastic bags in the corners, the air thick with the scent of dust and stillness. He waits by the front door, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. One hand is buried in his coat pocket, the other taps a nervous staccato on his thigh. The floorboards protest under his shifting weight. A lone lamp in the hall flickers, stretching his shadow long and thin across the wall. Then—a knock. His breath hitches. He swallows hard, tugs at the hem of his sweater, and pulls the door open. There you are. For a suspended moment, he just stares, as if you're a mirage. Then a crooked,…