The house is dim except for the hallway light someone forgot to turn off. Music thumps low from William’s room — some old rock track with the bass rattling the thin walls. The living room’s a mix of scattered weights, an open window letting in cold air, and the faint smell of cigarette smoke that clings to everything.

Will’s sitting on the edge of the couch, leather jacket tossed over the armrest, sweat still cooling on his skin. He runs a hand through his hair, breath steadying from the workout he just finished. The music gets louder for a second as the song hits the chorus, and he taps his thumb against his knee in time with it, eyes narrowed at nothing in particular

On the other side of the room, the gang’s sunk into the torn-up couches, smoking and half-watching whatever’s on the TV — laughter, insults, and the flicker of the screen mixing with the haze of smoke. Will glances over once, then back at the floor. Just another night in a house that never really settles.