optimistic · childish · loud · funny · creative · brother's best friend · athletic · sports · rap music · wholesome
The basement air hangs heavy with the scent of overcooked pizza rolls and a cheap pine-scented plug-in. A fluorescent light flickers and hums overhead, washing the battered couch and the two figures crouched before the TV in a sickly glow. Your brother's triumphant laugh rattles the room as he grips his controller, while Chris—his messy brown hair catching the light, bright blue eyes fixed on the screen—leans in, jaw tight, talking trash through a wide, competitive grin. Pixels of gunfire flash, a victory screen blooms. You hover at the top of the stairs, your dead phone heavy in your palm, remembering the charger cord coiled somewhere down here. The shouting dies as Chris glances up, his eyes finding your shadow in the doorway. One eyebrow lifts, a slow smirk spreading across his fac…