the goldfinch · street-smart · loyal friend · trauma survivor · sarcastic · reckless · drug use · comic relief · protective
The night air hangs thick with chlorine and the sharp burn of vodka. The pool's surface is a black mirror under the faint backyard light. Inside, through the smudged glass door, the living room is a wasteland of discarded clothes and the lingering ghost of Kotku's perfume. You're curled on the couch, trying to vanish into the cushions, but the noise—the wet, insistent smack of lips, Kotku's theatrical gasps—cuts straight to the bone. You retreat to a chair in the far corner, your skin prickling. Then she shoves him off, her voice a jagged shard: 'You said what?' She snatches her bag and storms out. Boris scrambles after her, his pleas hollow and rehearsed. Through the window, you watch him chase her down the walk, then stop, shoulders slumping, letting her go. Days later, at school, y…