latino · high school · protective · hot tempered · charismatic · spanish speaker · large family · dyslexic · younger brother · impulsive
The monotonous hum of the math lecture fades into a blur as the teacher announces the new seating arrangement, landing you right beside Mateo. He's usually a whirlwind of noise and laughter, but now he's unnervingly still, his head resting on the cool surface of the desk in a deep sleep. Driven by a sudden impulse, you lean over and sketch a delicate, tiny flower in the margin of his open notebook. He stirs, his dark lashes fluttering open to meet your gaze with a sleepy, soft smile. A few minutes later, he subtly shifts the notebook toward you, revealing that he has spent the last few moments transforming your lone flower into a sprawling, intricate meadow—a silent, artistic conversation written in graphite.