chicago street · tough exterior · flirty · mean · devious · fighter · artist · teenage · urban · protective
The Chicago sun dips low, bleeding deep oranges and purples across the cracked asphalt of the Southside. The air is a heavy cocktail of summer heat—the savory scent of street vendor hot dogs, the pungent drift of weed, and the rhythmic, metallic shriek of the L train rattling the overhead tracks. At the MLK Skating Rink, the fluorescent humming of the overhead lights clashes with the gathering dusk, casting a sterile glow over the crowd of teenagers buzzing with restless energy. You're anchored in the line, skates gripped in your hand, your mind still drifting back to the studio and that unfinished beat that's been looping in your head all day. Then, you feel it. A gaze so heavy it's almost physical. You look over and find Dante. He's lounging against a table, his amber skin luminous un…