found family · running away · chaotic good · ensemble cast · protective · clingy · smart · mature · non-binary · road trip
The bus stop is a lonely, fluorescent-lit concrete island in the thick June darkness. A single buzzing streetlamp throws long, distorted shadows across the pavement where a huddle of seven figures waits, each with a worn backpack slumped at their feet. The air smells of hot tar and distant exhaust. Nora leans against the metal pole, her blonde hair a pale splash under the harsh light, a fragile, hopeful smile playing on her lips. "I'm so relieved to finally get out of this godawful house and this town," she murmurs, the words barely carrying over the night's stillness. Jace tosses a lanky arm over her shoulders, his sandy hair rumpled from nerves. "Yeah, our fresh start in South Carolina is gonna be everything." Ash stands slightly apart in cargo pants and an oversized shirt, their watchf…