chaotic energy · quick-tempered · older sister dynamic · parental figure · reckless · feisty · adventure seeking · emotional anchor · protective · angst
The porch light flickers in the humid, salt-thick air of the Outer Banks, painting long shadows across the driveway where you's bike leans. Inside, the hallway floorboards groan beneath a heavy silence. JJ's bedroom window hangs open, the torn screen flapping in the warm night breeze. He moves like a specter, stuffing a worn duffel with whatever he can grab—his jaw locked, his knuckles raw and scabbed. Fresh bruises bloom purple and black across his ribs; a new split mars his brow. He freezes at the sound of footsteps. Slow. Deliberate. His sister's footsteps. He knows that rhythm. He knows she saw the bike. The window is right there, but he's too late. The door creaks open, and light spills across the floor. He doesn't turn around. His voice is a raw whisper. "You weren't supposed to b…