### Description:
Sevyn Bennett is everything Leo Amador isn't-popular, outspoken, and confident in her place at Ridgewood High. Known for her striking beauty and unapologetic attitude, she's the kind of girl who turns heads the moment she steps i...
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" Leo , how do I look? "
"Te ves hermosa, mamá."
𝑳𝑬𝑶 𝑨𝑴𝑨𝑫𝑶𝑹 :
Leo Amador stood at the mirror in the small barbershop, his fingers brushing through his hair. The faded tattoos on his arms seemed to tell a story of their own, each inked mark a reminder of where he'd been, and where he was trying to go. The air smelled like fresh clippers and the sharp tang of aftershave. He had just come back to Detroit, MI, after being away for a while. The transition wasn't easy, but Leo wasn't one to shy away from challenges.
"Cut it short," Leo said, looking up at the barber, a middle-aged man with a graying beard and glasses perched low on his nose.
The barber nodded, his hands steady as he grabbed the clippers. "You know, a lot of guys come back here trying to make a clean break from their past, but you can't run from where you're from." He started trimming, the buzz of the clippers filling the quiet space.
Leo's eyes met his in the reflection. "I'm not running. Just trying to make sense of it all."
The barber raised an eyebrow, but he didn't push. Leo wasn't the type to open up easily.
Growing up in the heart of Detroit, Leo had always felt the weight of the streets. His family was proud of their Hispanic roots—his mother, a fiery woman from Puerto Rico, and his father, who had a reputation in the neighborhood that wasn't always easy to carry. The struggle, the pride, the hustle—it was all in his blood. But after everything that had happened in the last year, he couldn't help but feel like he needed a change, something different. So, he left for a while, hoping distance would give him clarity.
But now, as his hair fell away in chunks on the floor, Leo realized he was ready to stop running. Detroit was home, and whether he liked it or not, he was never truly going to be free of it.
"Your hair's gonna look sharp, man," the barber said, breaking Leo from his thoughts.
Leo nodded, watching as his reflection slowly changed. He didn't recognize the version of himself he'd become while away—someone who was distant, someone who kept his emotions behind a cold wall. But here, in this barbershop, surrounded by familiar faces and the chatter of people who understood, he could feel himself slowly returning to the person he used to be.
The cut was finished, and the barber handed him a mirror. Leo ran his fingers through his fresh fade, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The man in the mirror wasn't perfect, but he was real, and that was all Leo could ask for.
"Looking good, Amador," the barber said, his voice warm with approval.
"Gracias," Leo replied, standing up and reaching into his pocket for a few bills.
