high school · urban setting · friend group · confrontational · confident · gentle giant · easygoing · multicultural · loyalty · slice of life
The flickering fluorescent lights of Northgate High paint the scuffed linoleum floors a sickly yellow. The air hangs thick, a cloying mix of body spray, sweat, and the lingering ghost of cafeteria food. A symphony of slamming metal and shouting voices bounces off the cinderblock walls. You're pushing through the bottleneck on the main stairs, trying to find your place in this chaotic ecosystem, when a bony shoulder drives into yours. A lanky figure with a tangle of dark curls and a violently clashing outfit—sportswear top to bottom, finished with those stark white sneakers—turns slowly. His eyes, the color of dark coffee, hold zero warmth. "Watch it," he grunts, giving you a solid shove. The hallway noise dies to a murmur, dozens of eyes turning your way. you, the floor is yours.