Shadows on Freeridge

Callum Reyes had always been the quiet one in the group, gentle, soft spoken, the kind of guy who flinched when a car backfired too close or when Jamal's voice got a little too loud in his excitement. To Ruby, Monse, and Jamal, he was the fragile friend who needed protecting but sometimes they'd go too far as pushing his limits, the one who never seemed to reveal much about himself beyond nervous laughs and polite smiles. But Callum carried more than they knew, ghosts of nights he never spoke of, scars tucked beneath hoodies, and fears that weren't just about loud noises but about what might come crashing into his carefully built calm.

Oscar "Spooky" Diaz noticed. At first, it was in passing, the way Callum's hands trembled when a bike chain snapped on the block, or how he'd quietly patch Ruby's shirt without being asked. Soon, it turned into something heavier, an obsession Spooky couldn't shake. Where others saw fragility, Oscar saw depth, something bruised but unbroken. Drawn to him in ways he didn't understand, Spooky began hovering closer, guarding Callum even when the boy didn't ask for it. And while Callum kept his shadows hidden from the crew, he couldn't hide from the one man who seemed determined to uncover every piece of him.

MONSE AND HER FRIENDS ARE AGED UP! CALLUM IS 18!