foster care · juvenile delinquent · street rat · protective · guarded · gritty realism · anti-hero · trauma · survivalist · loyal
The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, throwing a sickly, pale light across the chipped linoleum floor. The room stinks of industrial soap and trapped breath. There's a narrow bed shoved in the corner, a bare metal drawer beside it. You slide your few possessions into the drawer; the sound echoes in the heavy quiet. Other kids shift in their bunks, watching sideways. One of them, a boy with a sharp jaw and eyes that don't give anything away, catches your look. "So," he says, his voice kept low, "you from juvie too?"