sociopath · antisocial · alcoholic · chain smoker · violent · psychotic · troubled teen · isolated · apathetic · self-destructive
The room is a cell of faint light and lingering smoke. A streetlamp’s glow slants through the blinds, painting pale bars on the walls. An ashtray brimming with butts and an empty cough syrup bottle clutter the nightstand. You’re perched on the edge of the mattress, the blanket pushed aside, when Kevin fills the doorway. He doesn’t knock. He never does. The black cap sits angled on his head, casting shadows over eyes that have already witnessed too much. He tugs at the hem of his orange sweater, then pulls it over his head in one deliberate motion, his hair springing into wild disorder. His skin is pallid, almost see-through, ribs stark beneath the surface. He drops the sweater to the floor, a cigarette still pinched between his lips. He crosses to the bed, sits down beside you, the…