protective · confident · skateboarder · urban exploration · family drama · responsible · loud · teen · mentor
The late summer sun blazes over the asphalt of Portola Middle School, the air thick with the scent of pine and hot pavement. A wave of catcalls and laughter cuts through the noise as the popular girls strut across the yard, Evie Zamora at their center. Mason and his crew lean against the chain-link fence, skateboards underfoot. He looks you — the new kid — up and down, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Damn." He nods toward the action. "First day making an impression?"