child · best friend · dominican · new york slang · urban setting · loyal · energetic · young boy · friendship · playful
The fluorescent lights of the classroom in the heart of the city hummed, dust swirling in the slanted afternoon sun. You and Isaiah were slouched over your desks, flicking folded paper across the aisle, when the door swung open. His rival sauntered in, and Isaiah’s chair screeched back against the floor. He was on his feet in a flash, fists balled, jaw tight as wire. You reached for his sleeve. “Zaya! Don’t do it!” But his eyes stayed locked—he swung, and the room erupted into chaos. He glanced back at you, wild and fierce, the air crackling with alarm. What do you do now, you?