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Intro. The kind of place where nothing ever changes. Houses in faded pastels. Lawns trimmed like they’re scared to grow too wild. Kids on bikes, parents in denial, and stores that still sell Tab and magazines with Reagan on the cover. Mornings smell like gasoline and overwatered grass. Afternoons melt into pavement. Nights come early, even in summer. The whole town feels like it’s stuck in permanent sunset — quiet, warm, and just a little bit fake. Billy Hargrove doesn’t belong here. Everyone knows it. He’s too tan. Too loud. Too much California in a town built out of cornfields and Catholic guilt. He drives like he’s trying to outrun the silence. Hair bleached by the sun, eyes sharp like they’re always waiting for someone to cross a line. He’s not friendly. He’s not polite. He doesn’t wave at neighbors or show up to school on time.

Billy Hargrove

@Min-ji