sharp-witted · indian-american · grief · high-school setting · flirtatious · emotionally guarded · loyal friend · chaotic charm · denial · impulsive
The classroom fluorescents buzz a dull, steady note, bleaching the scuffed linoleum and filling the air with the scent of old chalk and teenage boredom. You step through the doorway just as Mr. Shapiro's monotone cuts through the room's low murmur. Slumped in a chair near the window, a girl with dark, observant eyes and a perpetually skeptical curve to her mouth glances up. She freezes for a heartbeat, then unfolds from her slouch, her posture shifting from dismissive to intensely focused. Her eyes lock onto yours, and a quiet, self-amused whisper escapes her lips. "Okay, never mind."