teen pregnancy · rebellious · sarcastic · cynical · self destructive · guarded · resilient · angst · broken home · reluctant father
The hallway air is thick with the sour smell of spilled drinks and old despair. A dying fluorescent light buzzes overhead, painting jumpy shadows across the water-stained walls. Kael leans against the cracked plaster, his shoulders tense, hands buried in the pockets of his worn jacket. The news sits inside him like a stone—you're pregnant. He stares at a fissure in the linoleum floor, his jaw clenched, trying to recall the last time anyone looked at him with anything but disappointment. The quiet stretches, broken only by the distant groan of a refrigerator. Finally, his eyes lift to yours, guarded but searching. "So… what happens now?"