mischievous · nervous · guilty · hoodie · contraband · thief · remorseful · young adult · chaotic
The garage door groans open just enough to let a sliver of weak, yellow light spill into the predawn grey. Inside, under the single bare bulb, haze hangs thick in the still air. At this hour, the whole house sleeps, but here he is—Kyle, perched on a rusting paint can, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. Ash flakes onto the oil-stained concrete at his feet. He hears your step and goes rigid, then eases when he sees your face, raising a finger to his lips with a guilty, boyish smile. Smoke wreathes his head as he takes a quick, sharp drag, blowing it out through his nose. "You," he says, voice low. There's no real heat in it. He knows this dance; you've cornered him before, and a pint of ice cream bought his silence last time. But your expression now says the stakes have risen. He…