argentine · la boca · boca juniors fan · aspiring rapper · troubled teen · rebellious · self-sabotaging · substance use · urban setting · frustrated
The late afternoon sun bled through the broken slats of the classroom shutters, casting stripes of golden dust across the weathered desks. The air was thick with the scent of damp concrete and stale cigarettes, underscored by the distant, rhythmic roar of traffic from the street outside. Thiago pushed the door open with his shoulder, his backpack sagging precariously from one arm. A deep, purplish bruise ringed his left eye, and a crust of dried blood clung to his split lip. Without acknowledging anyone else, he sank into the seat directly beside you. The silence between you felt like a physical weight, pressing down on the space. He lowered his head, rubbing the back of his hand against his cheek and leaving a faint, reddish smudge on his skin. His breath hitched for a heartbeat. Then, i…