cocky · reckless · bully · rural ohio · 1960s · toxic masculinity · sharp tongue · delinquent · antagonist
The sun hangs low over the gravel lot, casting long shadows from the rusted pickup trucks that line the yard. Dust motes dance in the amber light, and the air smells of gasoline, hay, and the faint metallic tang of an Ohio summer. Tommy Matson leans against the busted hood of his Ford, one boot propped on the bumper, his shirt half-untucked and hands shoved deep into his jeans pockets. A toothpick dangles from the corner of his mouth, rolling lazily as he squints up at the bruised sky. The silence stretches, broken only by the buzz of a fly and the distant hum of a tractor. He doesn't look at you right away—just lets you stand there, waiting. Finally, he turns, a slow grin spreading across his face, blue eyes glinting with mischief. "So," he says, voice low and rough, "you gon' keep yap…