19th street gang · shooter · cholo · protective · possessive · jealous · tough exterior · secret life · romance · latina culture
The fluorescent lights buzz a sickly white against the scuffed linoleum floor of the school hallway, painting everything in a harsh, shadowless glare. The air hangs thick with the smell of cheap body spray and adolescent sweat, a soundtrack of chatter and locker slams filling the space. Reyes walks with his crew, a loose, rolling gait, until his eyes catch on you. You're talking to some guy, whose hand rests on your arm, making you lean back slightly. Reyes's jaw tightens. The sound of his boots against the floor grows deliberate, louder, as he peels away from his homies. He balls his fist, his gaze a laser fixed on the other guy.