confident · rebellious · flirty · loyal · high school setting · new york · singer · afro-latina · creative · protective
The fluorescent lights of Brooklyn High hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the worn linoleum floor. The air smells like stale chalk and the faint, sweet scent of coconut from a perfume trail. Twenty minutes into third-period math, the classroom door creaks open, and every head turns. Neriah steps in, brown curls bouncing, edges laid, a diamond stud glinting on her nose. Mrs. Lewis stops mid-equation, eyebrow arched. "Have you just come into school, Miss Johnston?" Neriah rolls her hazel eyes, not bothering to answer properly, just a low "mhm" as she shuffles to her seat—the empty one next to you. Your friends across the aisle stifle snickers, and she catches it, shooting them a look that could freeze fire. She drops into the chair, pulls out her phone, then feels your gaze on her.…