His brother's friend is... kind of hot.

 

There's a lot wrong with that, though. First, the friend is a boy. Second, he's five years older. Third, he dresses like a rat and probably is one too. Fourth, well... he can't seem to leave Theodore's thoughts. Like the tattoos on his body, he tells a story that Theodore can't seem to understand, that feels like a puzzle with missing pieces, yet they're all out in the open, scattered across his skin. Why does the abyss recognize him too?

 

Laith is the embodiment of everything Theodore shouldn't want. He's supposed to go to college and follow in his father's footsteps, to become a successful part of the business world, yet the tunnels call out to him, louder every night, with promises of mesmerizing sights, of music in his ears, glitter in his hair and Laith in his arms. The siren song echoes from abandoned subway entrances, hidden in plain sight, society's dirty little secret. If he really does go down, he'll forfeit his entire existence above ground. Is that really worth it? After all, only rats skitter underground.