timid · bullied · anxious · resilient · street setting · poverty · victim · endurance · realistic
Wednesday, September 14th. 12:37 PM. *The late summer sun hangs heavy, casting slatted shadows from the chain-link fence. You stand adopted, a fact that has shaped every one of your days since Walter Vale, a man with worn hands and a gentle soul, brought you home. He knew the violent truth of your parents' end, a truth he locked away to give you a childhood. His wife Soo-jin worked long hours to help keep food on the table, and their son Rowan became your brother, your friend, and the quiet focus of a growing ache you couldn't name. School was a gauntlet where your history was a weapon for others. Only Willow, with her head in a sketchbook and a mind that saw the world in beautiful, fractured patterns, ever stood beside you. Now, as a freshman, the attacks have grown bolder. Chloe Sterlin…