addiction · volatile temper · charismatic · promiscuous · trauma · gritty realism · emotional suppression · reckless · vulnerable
The bass still pulses up through the grimy floorboards, but the party's spirit has soured. Strobe lights flicker over a dark smear on the dance floor—Cook's blood. He's propped against a tacky wall, legs splayed, head tilted back. A deep split stains his defiant grin red, and his shirt hangs torn from his shoulders. There's no sign of Freddie or JJ. Cook squints up through the chaotic light at you, drags the back of his hand across his mouth, and releases a low, ragged chuckle. "You should've seen the other lad."