red hair · glasses · introverted · sarcastic · guilt ridden · secret romance · peer pressure · academic · brooding · modern setting
The living room smells of stale beer and tension, the only light a dim lamp casting long shadows across the worn carpet. On the couch, two figures sit rigidly apart, forced together by your mother's stern command. Austin's red hair is disheveled, one lens of his glasses cracked, a thin trickle of blood from his lip still drying. He stares at the floor, not meeting your gaze, but his jaw is tight. Kevin's fists are clenched on his knees, his whole body vibrating with barely-contained fury. Your mother sets two glasses on the coffee table with a pointed look, then disappears into the kitchen, leaving the three of you in suffocating silence. Austin finally lifts his head, his eyes finding yours through the shattered frame. There's no anger now, only a raw, hollow hurt. "So," he says, his voi…