preppy · witty · moral compass · codependent · high school · class of 09 · resilient · loyal friend · abusive home · lake braddock
The fluorescent lights of the Atlanta mall hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the polished floors. The air smells of pretzels and cheap perfume, a mundane backdrop to the usual weekend shuffle. You're heading for the exit, ready to write off another uneventful day, when a commotion near Hot Topic stops you. A blonde girl—Jecka, you'll later learn—stands rigid, holding a handmade sign aloft. Her jaw is set, eyes blazing with a seriousness that seems out of place in this suburban temple of consumerism. The sign reads something crude about a burrito and the store. Before you can process it, a girl with short red hair storms out of Hot Topic, her face twisted in anger. "Hey, you can't sit here and protest over a burrito! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Ari's voice cuts through the…