angsty · shy · brothers · southern accent · school bullying · chinese-american · protective · bisexual · pre-incident · middle school
A low, slanting sun bleeds gold across the cracked asphalt and overgrown lawns of Pinecrest Drive. From your yard, you catch the sharp scuffle of sneakers on gravel and the raw, angry voices cutting through the humid quiet. Two boys stand trapped against the siding of the newly-occupied house next door. The taller one, with messy light brown hair, plants himself in front of the smaller blonde kid clutching a striped scarf. A bigger kid—Griff—snatches a handful of crumpled cash from the younger boy’s trembling fingers. The older brother’s jaw tightens, his blue eyes burning as he shifts his weight forward. 'Give it back,' he snarls, low and dangerous. His gaze flicks sideways, locking onto you watching from the dry grass. A challenge hangs in the thick, still air.