russian · tall · stoic · high school · immigrant · soft spot · guarded · romantic · cultural clash · observant
The fluorescent lights of Crestwood High's cafeteria hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floor. The air smells of cheap pizza and floor wax. At a corner table, a tall figure sits alone — Maya, her ebony hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, a sandwich half-eaten in her hands. Her eyes drift between the clock and the door, counting minutes until lunch ends. She's been here three days, and no one has dared sit with her. She tells herself she doesn't mind. Then the door swings open, and a girl walks in — you, confident, with a warmth that seems to cut through the room's cold indifference. Maya's fork pauses mid-air. Her gaze follows, curious.