When a suburban Black girl meets a hard life Hispanic boy.

SXF (studxfem) • two high school girls at a boarding school-one rebellious, one quiet-become roommates and grow close despite clashing. when trouble pulls them apart, one fights to reach the other before summer starts. • • • • - violence - strong language - mature audience - sex

Javier Solis knows how to leave a mark, both on skin and on the heart. The oldest of six, he grew up surrounded by love, laughter, and art, and now he pours all of himself into the tattoo shop he owns. Navy Jones has spent her life holding everyone else together. The middle child of a big family, dependable and quiet, she became a teacher not just to guide children, but to give the care she's always given others, even when no one gave it back. On New Year's Eve, Navy walks into Javier's shop for her first tattoo: a lotus placed close to her heart. One night, one tattoo, one choice, and suddenly two lives collide in ways neither expected.

A love story

Adapted from Girls Do It Better. Back seat