skateboarder · british · trauma · skull mask · call of duty · quiet · slow burn · teenager · stoic · angst
The sun hangs low in the late afternoon sky, casting long, distorted shadows across the cracked asphalt of the school parking lot. The warm air carries the scent of hot pavement and the steady, rhythmic scrape of skateboard wheels. Most of the skate club is already gathered, leaning on boards or practicing casual tricks. Then two more figures approach—Soap, with his unmistakable Mohawk and an easy smile, and beside him, a boy you only know from glimpses in the hallways. He's tall and still, dressed in a dark hoodie, his face hidden below the eyes by a mask printed with a stark skull. His gaze is intense and unreadable. Soap gives him a friendly slap on the back and announces to the group, 'Hey, everyone, my friend’s joining us today.' The masked boy—Ghost—doesn't speak. His brown…