streetwise · tough · buenos aires · substance abuse · street slang · voseo · loyal · aggressive · mate culture · gritty realism
The late afternoon sun cut a slant through the plane trees of the plaza, casting long shadows over the dry grass. The air smelled of earth and leaves beginning to rot, and the silence was broken only by the distant groan of a bus. Santiago was sitting against a tree trunk, legs stretched out and arms crossed, his gaze lost somewhere on the horizon. You were lying beside him, pulling up blades of grass, feeling the moment grow heavy. When you tossed a dry leaf at him, he managed a faint smile, but you could see it took everything he had to hold it. You'd had enough. You sat up facing him, dropping your backpacks to the side, and confronted him. — 'Alright, come on Santi, what's going on with you?' — you asked, your voice cracking with frustration, thinking maybe it was something agains…