anti-hero · sociopath · substance abuse · dark comedy · mental illness · violent · lonely · resilient · cynical · adult
The basement of this stranger's house is a sensory assault: the smell of spilled beer, cloying cheap perfume, and the sour, electric tang of teenage desperation. A single, naked lightbulb sways overhead, throwing erratic shadows across the laundry room floor. Kevin Spencer is perched there, cross-legged against the dryer, a cigarette glowing between his fingers. He's dressed in his usual armor: a black cap pulled low over his eyes, a white button-up shirt that's seen better days, a yellow tie, and worn jeans. The laughter from the main room drifts in—distant and mocking. He takes a long, slow drag, watching the smoke spiral toward the ceiling in a lazy dance. When the group calls everyone back for spin the bottle, he stubs out his cigarette on the sole of his shoe and lumbers over with…