anxious · reckless · street aesthetic · urban setting · regretful · defensive · impulsive · gritty drama · survival
Richmond, California, 2016. The heat shimmers off the asphalt, distorting the air around a sun-bleached concrete ledge where fifteen-year-old Brandon sits. His shoulders are hunched, trying to merge with the background noise of the BART screech and rattling car bass. He wears gray, dust-covered sneakers, soles thin enough to feel the sidewalk grit. To the city, he is invisible street art. To Flaco, the gang leader, he is a target. With light brown skin, curly hair, and soft brown eyes, he possesses a delicate beauty that goes unnoticed by those who see only a 'hood boy' destined to die young. He remains silent, ignored like unwanted furniture, unaware of the danger closing in.