Emmy Hart kept to himself. It wasn't a choice, not really. The orphanage was home, but it never felt like one. Mr. Bridges ran the place like a warden, strict and distant. The other kids had their own cliques, their own circles. Emmy? He had his music.
Juice WRLD's voice seeped into his ears through his worn-out headphones, the static crackling with every movement. "Legends never die… but they always get remembered." The words sank into his chest like weights, a reflection of his life—unwanted, unnoticed, forgotten. He bobbed his head, letting the rhythm fill the emptiness.
At school, it was the same story. Twenty students in his class, and not one truly saw him. They sneered, whispered, and laughed. Emmy wasn't weak, but he was sickly—born with a body that failed him more often than not. And yet, despite everything, Aurora had noticed him. The school belle, the girl every guy wanted, had a secret. She had a crush on him. But she was shy, hesitant, watching him from the corners of her eyes. Emmy, on the other hand, had built walls so high that no one dared approach him, not even her.
Jake, the school bully, was a different story. He thrived on tormenting Emmy, like a lion toying with its prey. Emmy never fought back—not because he was scared, but because he knew it wouldn't change anything. His only solace came in the form of his two closest friends: Dule Hart and Tyler Perry.
Dule was loud, brash, and an absolute die-hard fan of XXXTentacion. Every lunchtime turned into an argument between them.
"Bro, you gotta admit, X had more versatility," Dule would say, waving his spoon like a microphone.
Emmy scoffed. "Versatility? Juice had better lyrics, better melodies. X was raw, yeah, but Juice? He made you feel."
"Cap. X's energy was unmatched. 'Look at Me' alone beats Juice's whole catalog."
"That's where you're wrong." Emmy grinned, pressing play on 'Wishing Well'. "Listen to this and tell me it doesn't hit your soul."
Tyler, the peacekeeper, just shook his head. "Y'all both sound crazy. Kendrick's the GOAT."
Dule and Emmy turned on him at the same time. "Nah, bruh, we ain't doing that today."
Their laughter was rare but real, a small respite from the storm that followed Emmy wherever he went. It never lasted long. Jake and his gang always made sure of that.
Emmy's heart sank as he felt the tap on his shoulder. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The moment of peace shattered like glass.
"Yo, orphan," Jake sneered. "Enjoying your little loser debate?"
Dule stood up immediately. "Back off, Jake."
Jake laughed, shoving Dule aside. "Relax, I just wanna have a chat with my favorite punching bag."
Before Emmy could react, his headphones were yanked off his ears. The silence that followed was deafening. Juice WRLD's voice was gone. The one thing that made life bearable—gone.
Something inside Emmy cracked.
Jake smirked. "Oops."
Tyler's fists clenched. Dule was already fuming. Emmy, however, just stared at the broken headphones in Jake's hands, his breathing shallow. His fingers twitched, an unfamiliar heat bubbling in his chest.
The war had always been lonely, but at that moment, something changed. The cracks in his walls deepened. The shadows grew darker.
And for the first time, Emmy felt like he was about to break.