The city hit Theo like a punch to the gut and a slap to the face—overwhelming, relentless, and alive with a million flashing distractions. Skyscrapers loomed like giant glass monsters, their cold windows reflecting a world where Theo didn't quite fit. Neon signs buzzed overhead, casting flickering colors onto the cracked, uneven pavement that rattled beneath his worn boots. The streets thrummed with noise: honking cars, distant sirens, hurried footsteps, and chatter in every language but his.
Theo's jaw hung slack, eyes wide as he stumbled through the crowd like a kid dropped into a candy store and told to keep his hands to himself. He gripped his paint-stained canvas bag tighter, a lifeline in this chaotic sea of strangers. Here, nobody knew his name. Nobody cared about his small-town dreams or the family he left behind.
Turning a corner, lost in a jumble of neon lights and foreign voices, he collided with a group of girls leaning against a boutique window. Their laughter cut through the din like a knife, sharp and cold.
They turned, instantly sizing him up with a mix of amusement and disdain. Perfect designer boots clicked on the pavement, punctuating their silent judgment.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" said a tall blonde with ice-blue eyes, folding her arms like a queen surveying a peasant. "Is that the new homeless kid?"
The others giggled, eyes glinting with cruel delight. One petite girl with a sharp bob stepped forward, lips curled in a mocking smile.
"What's your name, anyway?" she asked, voice sweet but laced with venom.
Theo's gaze snapped to hers, ice cold. "That's none of your concern, shorty," he said, tone flat but deadly.
The blonde rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You don't belong here. This is the city."
Theo's lips curled into a slow, sardonic smile. "Well, I don't see any signs around here saying I don't belong. This place? It's a cage—a zoo filled with animals like you."
A heavy silence fell. The girls' amusement faltered, replaced by surprise and irritation.
From just behind them, a voice sliced through the tension—icy and controlled, but simmering with anger.
"That's enough, you broke boy."
"who do you think you are."
Isabella stepped forward, her presence instantly commanding. Dark hair framed a flawless face, but her eyes held a storm beneath polished perfection—a warning wrapped in beauty.
Theo turned, tilting his head slightly as he met her gaze. "I'm the boy you all decided to start because you think you're better than me."
The words hung in the air, heavy and true.
Isabella's eyes narrowed, fury breaking through her usual calm. Without warning, she slapped him hard across the cheek.
The girls gasped, one blurting out, "Yo, girl, are you okay? I think you took it too far."
Isabella's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Oh no, I'm so sorry."
Theo's grin was slow and dangerous, eyes gleaming like a predator sizing up its next move. He stepped forward, voice low and dripping with challenge.
"Wow. You pack a punch."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before adding, "Next time, I won't be so forgiving."
With a last glance that promised trouble, Theo turned and strode away, leaving the stunned clique behind.
As the city swallowed him back into its chaotic embrace, the sound of their whispers and uncertain laughter followed—questions left unanswered, challenges yet to be met.