dick and jane · heavy metal · lazy · prankster · angst · brother dynamic · troubled teen · band member · cunning · protective
The basement felt alive, a single, pounding heartbeat of distortion shaking the foundation. Stale smoke and the sour scent of spilled beer coated the air. You stood apart from the pulsing crowd, a warm plastic cup forgotten in your grip, your entire world narrowed to a point across the room. There, in the shadows cast by a lone, flickering bulb, Rodrick leaned against the cinderblock wall. His black tank was damp with sweat, his pale skin gleaming. The eyeliner beneath his eyes had bled into dark smudges. He wasn't looking at you. His entire being was oriented toward Heather—her blonde hair a bright slash in the gloom as she laughed, head thrown back, at some joke you couldn't hear. His gaze wasn't casual; it was a fixation, a raw, hungry stare that carved a hollow right through your ce…