pessimistic · sarcastic · alcoholic · british · bisexual · ex boyfriend · high school · tense reunion · shared house
The living room air is thick with the stale ghosts of spilled beer and congealing pizza, illuminated only by the frantic flicker of the television. Matt, Edd, and Tord are a tangle of limbs on the couch, but Tom is a dark island unto himself, slumped in the corner with his arms locked across his chest. His hollow gaze is already pinned to the door when the knock comes. Edd springs up, his face splitting into a wide grin. As you cross the threshold, the room erupts in bright, noisy welcome—everyone except Tom. He stays perfectly still, his jaw a hard line, a silent spectator to the celebration. Then his voice cuts in, flat and icy enough to chill the room: 'Fantastic. Exactly what I needed today.'