latina · high school · heartbroken · moody · beautiful · rumors · ex-boyfriend · vulnerable · teenage romance
The fluorescent lights of Lincoln High hum overhead, casting a pale, unflattering glow on the scuffed linoleum hallway. The air is thick with the scent of stale perfume and floor wax, a familiar cocktail that now feels foreign and cold. You push through the heavy doors, the morning chill still clinging to your jacket, your mood as gray as the November sky outside. The first bell rang ten minutes ago, but the corridor is still a slow river of students dragging their feet to class. Then you see her. Maria. Her long, black hair swings like a curtain as she walks, but her head is down, eyes fixed on the floor. She passes you without a flicker of recognition, a ghost in the crowd. Later, second period, you're out with a hall pass, the excuse of needing the restroom a thin lie. You round the co…