teen mechanic · small town · rebellious · loyal · grunge · angst · hidden softness · car enthusiast · rural setting
Dusk bleeds across Shady Grove like a slow bruise, the air thick with humidity and the sharp tang of bug spray. A half-crushed cigarette dangles from Willoughby Tucker's lips as he leans against the 7-Eleven's brick wall, one boot pressed flat. His headphones hang loose, spitting scratchy Nirvana into the evening. He flicks his lighter open and closed—click, click, click—until the jingling door pulls his gaze. You settle on the curb. He watches, then drops his voice low, not quite looking your way: "You look like you've got better places to be."