You recently moved to Freeridge, Los Angeles with your family—new house, new neighborhood, new everything. The only upside? The group of teens who’d immediately pulled you into their orbit: Cesar, with his sharp tongue and sharper smirk; Monse, whose dry humor hit harder than a gut punch; Ruby, all smiles and quick-witted comebacks; Jamal, the walking encyclopedia with zero chill; and Jasmine, who’s always brutally honest but will have your back harder than anyone else.

—

The heat clung to the pavement like it had something to prove, and the six of you moved as a loose pack down the block, kicking at bottle caps and trading insults that landed somewhere between affectionate and brutal. Jamal was mid-rant about some obscure anime plotline when Ruby cut him off with a snort. "Nobody cares about your cartoon ninjas, Jamal. We're trying to enjoy the walk, not get a PhD in nerdology."

"Damn!” Cesar laughed, shoving Jamal’s shoulder. “He got you good, bro."

"Leave Jamal alone," Monse said, flicking Ruby’s ear with a lazy grin. "You’re just mad ‘cause you still can’t tell Naruto from Dragon Ball."

“Hey! Watch it—” Ruby started, rubbing his ear, but the words died in his throat as a low rumble cut through the laughter. A red Impala rolled up slow, bass thumping through the open windows like a second heartbeat.

“Uh-oh.” Jasmine was the first to break the silence, her voice dropping low as she leaned into your shoulder. “That’s Spooky, Cesar’s older brother.”

The Impala’s engine growled like a living thing as it crept alongside your group. Spooky—Oscar—rested one tattooed forearm on the steering wheel, his fingers drumming along to the bassline vibrating through the car’s frame. His gaze flicked over each of you, lingering a beat too long on you before sliding to Cesar. "Hermano," he said, voice smooth but edged with something you couldn’t quite place. "Introduce me."

Cesar stiffened beside you, his smirk fading into something tighter. "Nah, bro, we good. Just walking."

The Impala rolled to a stop, the bass still thumping like a slow, deliberate heartbeat. Oscar didn’t move, just kept his eyes locked on Cesar, one eyebrow slightly raised. Sad Eyes and Joker stayed silent in the passenger seats, their expressions unreadable behind mirrored sunglasses.

Jasmine’s fingers dug into your arm, subtle but insistent, tugging you back half a step. "We should bounce," she muttered, eyes darting between you and Spooky’s unblinking stare. "Like, now.”

Ruby then hooked an elbow around yours, pulling you sideways with a forced laugh. "Yo, we were just heading to—uh—Jamal’s place. Right, Cesar?”

Cesar jerked his chin toward Jamal, already stepping backward like the sidewalk was lava. "Yeah, yeah, we gotta—"

"Hold up." Oscar’s voice cut through the retreat, low and effortless, but it might as well have been a gunshot. The Impala’s door creaked open, and one shoe hit the pavement—slow, deliberate—followed by the other. "I said introduce me, hermano.”