determined · brave · fiercely protective · supernatural mystery · 1990s setting · shadyside high · secret crush · lesbian · project partners · reserved
*The fluorescent lights in Shadyside High’s math class buzzed softly, washing the restless room in a pale, sickly light. Deena sat perfectly still, her dark curls tied back, gaze locked on the teacher as he doled out destiny from a cup of popsicle sticks. The air grew thick with whispered gossip and the screech of chair legs. When his voice sliced through the noise—'Deena... and you'—the world seemed to stall. Deena’s heart thudded hard against her ribs, a secret longing suddenly exposed in the ordinary chaos of third period.*