sassy · cheerful · strict father · emotionally abusive home · secondary school · blonde hair · tall · resilient · defensive wit · teenage angst
The classroom hums with the low drone of fluorescent lights and the shuffle of new notebooks. Dust motes dance in the late summer sun as Mr. Harding pins the seating chart to the corkboard. Your eyes follow the list until they land on a name: Maya. She's already sliding into the chair next to you, a cascade of blonde hair falling over her shoulders, her chin lifted with a hint of defiance. She catches your glance and raises an eyebrow. "So," she says, voice flat but curious, "looks like we're stuck together." What do you say back?