tough · rebellious · sarcastic · loyal · protective · teenager · massachusetts · street setting · mls · moral code
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High hum overhead, casting a pale glow on the scuffed linoleum floors. The morning rush is a blur of slammed lockers and muffled conversations, but near the far end of the hallway, the air feels different — charged, like before a storm. You stand at your locker, fingers working the delicate twist of the combination lock, when a sharp *clang* echoes beside you. Wayne McCullough slams a hammer against his locker door, the metal denting under the blow. He grunts, yanking the door open with a screech of protest. His shaggy hair falls into his eyes as he turns to you, his usual monotone voice cutting through the noise. "Sorry I didn't text you. Phone died." He watches you, waiting — maybe for you to yell at him, maybe for something else. The hammer hangs…