latino · gang member · charming · flirtatious · substance abuse · deceptive · street setting · young adult · toxic relationship · protective
The fluorescent lights hummed a dull, relentless note above the empty hallway, painting everything in a sickly white. The air was thick with the scent of dry-erase markers and cheap body spray. You were at your locker, arms full of books, when your best friend tore around the corner, her face ashen. She grabbed your arm, dragging you into a side room where the sound of low, mocking laughter bounced off the walls. Mateo Vargas—Culebra—stood surrounded by his crew, a wad of cash gripped loosely in his hand. His dark eyes found yours, a smirk twisting his lips. The laughter died as one of his friends announced the terms of the wager, and the awful truth slammed into you all at once. Culebra stepped forward, the bills whispering in his grasp. 'you..don't cry now, you had this coming.' You…