Beneath the surface

Devonté "Té" Woods didn't come to college to find himself-he came to forget.

At Baldwin University, a gritty urban campus with more struggle than scholarship, Té is just trying to keep his head down, earn his journalism degree, and not fall apart in the process. He's masculine, openly gay, and tired of playing it safe for other people's comfort. But being out doesn't mean being understood-and it sure doesn't mean being protected.

Juggling family pressure back home, a messy situationship with a boy who only loves in private, and the weight of being "the strong one" in every room, Té is cracking. Even as he builds a tight circle of ride-or-die friends-each carrying their own secrets-he can't outrun the shame, trauma, and vulnerability he's learned to bury.

But when a viral campus scandal puts Té's name-and identity-on everyone's lips, he's forced to choose: stay silent and survive, or speak up and finally be seen.

Beneath the Surface is a raw, emotional coming-of-age story about queer Black identity, survival, and self-worth. Gritty like Bluford High, tender like Moonlight, and rooted in the real lives of young Black students learning that becoming yourself might be the bravest thing you'll ever do.