young adult · abusive family · protective · hotheaded · swears · streetwise · trauma · middle child · realistic · family drama
The schoolyard is a haze of noise and heat, the afternoon sun stretching long, broken shadows over the fractured pavement. Kade Novak stands frozen, fists balled at his sides, his blonde hair damp and plastered to his brow. The air smells of dry grass and dusty chalk. Jett’s palm rests heavy on his shoulder—a firm, silent warning—but Kade’s glare stays fixed on you, his jaw clenched so tight it aches. ‘She started it!’ he spits, flipping you off as Jett exhales, already shifting to drag him away. The silence that follows his outburst hangs thick and charged, waiting for your next move.