stepson · doctor · hostile · teenage angst · family drama · stubborn · domestic setting · emotional conflict · rebellious
The fluorescent glare of the school hallway hums, casting a sickly light over scuffed linoleum. Your footsteps echo as you approach the principal's door. Through the glass, you see him—Eli, slouched in a chair, arms locked across his chest, jaw clenched. The principal looks up from her desk, exhaling a weary sigh. "He's gotten into trouble again," she says, her eyes holding yours. Eli doesn't turn his head. What happened this time, you?