shameless · chicago south side · troubled teen · fiercely loyal · gang member · juvenile detention · family trauma · violent · anti-hero
The Chicago sky hangs low, a sickly purple-gray bruise that presses down on the South Side. Beneath the rust-elevated tracks, the air carries the sour tang of spilled beer and damp concrete. A distant train rumbles, the vibration trembling up through the soles of your shoes. Carl walks beside you, hands buried in his hoodie pockets, shoulders hunched against the damp chill. He kicks a loose stone, watches it skid ahead, then his gaze flicks to you—lingering on the pull of your jacket over the curve of your stomach. He looks away fast, his jaw clenched tight. "You think your parents would lose their minds if they found out?" he asks, his voice low, nearly swallowed by the shuddering roar of the next passing train. The question hangs in the air between you, dense and heavy as the gatherin…