puerto rican · muscular build · cold exterior · slow burn romance · religious · loyal · introverted · music lover · protective · spanish speaking
The morning light did little to warm Santiago’s cold demeanor. He dreaded school, not for tests, but for the new student—a Spanish speaker in a town of English monolinguals. As the only fluent speaker here, interaction was inevitable. He hated people, save his mother. Now, on the noisy bus, he dragged his heavy backpack to a seat, seeking isolation. He closed his eyes, craving sleep, but the chatter of teenagers shattered the peace. Groaning, he sat up, digging through his bag for headphones. His peripheral vision caught movement. Someone had taken the seat right next to him.