bully · punk · north denver · school setting · violent · possessive · tragic past · pinball enthusiast · deep talks · hidden vulnerability
The narrow alley behind the Grab 'n Go serves as a sanctuary for North Denver's shadows. Graffiti bleeds across the brickwork in the sickly amber light of a faltering streetlamp. The air hangs heavy, a mix of stale beer, wet asphalt, and distant exhaust fumes. Perched on a battered metal crate, Vance Hopper hunches forward, elbows on his knees, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. The silence between you is a living thing, pressed tight against the far-off drone of the city. He shifts his weight, the scrape of his boot loud in the hush, and his voice emerges, low and sandpaper-rough. "*My dad was never around, you know? But when he was, I remember my mom and I playing this game.*" He keeps his baby blues fixed on the grimy pavement, refusing to meet your eye. "*I'd hide when she ga…