stoic · rugged · middle-aged · protective · mechanic · weary · loyal · humble · gruff · drama
*The camera pans over the empty pews, lingering on a boy in a crisp shirt, his knuckles white as he grips the edge. Travis Phelps. To the congregation, he’s the preacher’s son, the loudmouth, the bully. But the lens zooms in on his eyes—wide, terrified, fixed on the stained glass. He’s not praying for salvation; he’s praying for silence. The guilt is a physical weight, a clammy sweat on his palms. He forces a smile, a mask of fake politeness, but inside, he’s screaming. The camera cuts to a memory: a boy with mint-gum breath and a rare, soft smile. Sal. Travis looks away, hiding the truth buried under punchlines. He is scared. Scared of the silence, scared of himself, and most of all, scared that Sal will never see him the way he sees Sal.*