𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲

y/n

"needless to say i keep uh uh.." mumbling most of the lyrics, i sang the words to my song without a care in the world. even though i should be packing my bags, i was sitting at my desk making more stickers.

"she was a bad-bad, nevertheless, callin' it quits now baby, i'm a wreck.."

"../n!"

"crash at my place, baby, you're a wreak- ouuuuu~"

"y/n!!"

"yeah!" i shut my sketchbook, pulled my headphones down and turned to the directions of dad's voice from the other side of the door. "yeah?"

"are you finished packing for school?"

i turned to face the empty suitcase sitting open on my bed. "yeah.."

i got up and rushed to the closet. i didn't have any time to organized, so i just grabbed fistfuls of clothes on hangers, folded them the best i could and threw them into my suitcase.

"just ironing my last shirt!" i lied as i poured books, my pointe shoes, and other school supplies into my backpack.

i ignored my dad's comments and rushed to put on my new school uniform.

"where's my laptop?" i asked, coming out the room with almost all my stuff.

mom replied that she didn't know in spanish while i'm fumbling all around the living room, trying to fix my hair. i gave up and just decided to leave it how it was.

"if you want me to drive you, we gotta go now."

"no- no, dad, i'll walk."

i smacked my lips, and hurried into the kitchen, almost bumping into mami on the way.

"y/n! gotta go!" she said.

"in a minute!" i said back, eating a spoonful of the rice heating up on the stove. "gotta go!" mom called again from the door. dad shoved my laptop into my backpack.

"in a minute!!"

𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

"mom, i gotta go." my words came out more like a whine since mom was smothering my face with kisses.

"in a minute." she teased. i rolled my eyes and laughed. she let go of my face and zipped my backpack. "mi muñequita." she sighed, kissing my cheeks for the last time. "see you friday!"

"okay, mami. ¡hasta luego!"

i waved goodbye, and made my way down the busy streets of brooklyn, new york. a sudden smile took over me as i past my old school, and everyone i knew.

"look who's back! yo, what's going on, girl?"

"just walking by. how you doin'?"

it was refreshing just talking to people. i was a down to earth type of girl, or at least i try to be. i like to stay humble.

"yo, y/n! you felt that earthquake last night?"

"what you talkin' about? i slept like a baby last night."

"how's that new school?"

"so easy." i joked.

"we miss you, y/n."

"you miss me? i still live here!"

i took a double take. "wait.. you miss me?"

i kept my pace, and put my headphones over my ears again. i dragged my fingers over the colorful, intricate graffiti painted walls along the street. the song changed just as i pulled out the stickers i made fresh this morning out my skirt pocket.

that's one good thing that came out of having to wear a uniform, i guess. no skirts i own have pockets, so thank god this one does.

i jumped up and planted on an atm sign, another on a newspaper stand, and other on a street sign.

gives them a nice pop of color, don't you think?

i guess another pro is that i can jump really well, having taken ballet (and gymnastics) for a long time. not anymore though. i stopped a while back.

but just as i landed on the ground, i tripped over my shoe lace.

spoke too soon.

and in front of a police car.

i sat up and looked at the face behind the wheel. i groaned. "are you serious?" i mumbled to myself. dad poked his head out the window. "y/n, get in the car."

i groaned.

now, i'm sitting in the back of a police car. my dad's police car.

"seriously, dad. walking would've been fine."

he sighed. "you can walk plenty on saturday when you peel those stickers off."

"you saw that? i don't think that was me."

"and the two from yesterday on clinton."

"..yeah, that was me."

it was quiet for a moment.

"sooo, look at that. another new coffee shop."

was he being serious?

"totally, yeah."

"what's that one called?" he asked.

"foam party." i reluctantly answered. to be honest, the name was kind of dumb for a coffee shop.

"'foam party'?" he laughed. "come on. and everybody is just linin' up, you see that?"

"i see it." i wasn't.

"is that a coffee or a disco?"

that one got a little laugh outta me. i swear i could see a small smile coming from dad too. "dad, you're old."

i turned my attention back to the window. dad's radio started going on about spiderman and something he was looking into.

"spiderman." dad scoffed. "i mean, this guy swings in once a day, zip-zap-zop in his little mask, and answers to no one. right?"

"yea, dad. yeah." another reluctant answer.

truth was, i thought spiderman was cool. i mean, look at all he's accomplished. his success. he's made brooklyn a better place to live. and sure, things don't stay the same for long, but he always finds a way to make it right again.

and for a teenager who's trying to find her way in life, he's been a pretty good role model.

"..and meanwhile, my guys are out there, lives on the line, no masks,"

"uh-huh."

"we show our faces. you know, with great ability comes great accountability."

i turned to him with a 'are you serious' face. "that's not even how the saying goes, dad."

"i do like his cereal, though. i'll give him that."

i checked the time on my phone, and damn, we were running short on time.

"don't cops run red lights?" i asked.

"oh, yeah, some do. but, uh, tsk, not your dad."

i groaned, an before i knew it, a black matte sign came into view with copper letters, brooklyn visions academy.

the school itself was relatively new. the front of it looking almost like a museum, and the rest, modern, with glass windows, white paneling and color everywhere. i couldn't deny that it was a gorgeous school.

i just didn't want to be there.

dad pulled in and parked along the curb in front of the school's entrance.

"why can't i go back to brooklyn high?"

dad sighed and turned to face me. "y/n, you've given it two weeks. we're not having this conversation."

"i just think that this new school is elitist."

"'elitist?'"

"and i would prefer to be at a normal school among the people."

"'the people'? these are your people." he motioned the heavy groups of students walking across the street in front of us.

"you know what i mean! i'm speaking my truth! plus, i'm only here because i won that stupid lottery." i defended.

"no way. you passed that entry test just like everyone else, okay? you have an opportunity here! you wanna blow that? you wanna end up like your uncle?"

i slumped in the seat. "what's wrong with uncle aaron? he's a good guy."

dad was about to say something, but suppressed it with a sigh.

"we all make choices in life." he said.

"it doesn't feel like i have a choice right now-"

"you don't!"

i sat there for a moment before finally opening the car door, and getting my things out the front seat.

"i love you, y/n."

"yeah, i know, dad. see you friday."

i slipped my backpack onto my shoulder, shut the car door and began to make my way to the doors of the school.

then, his siren went off. and my dad spoke over the speaker.

"you gotta say 'i love you' back."

i whipped my body around. "dad, are you serious?!"

"i wanna hear it. 'i love you, dad'."

"you wanna hear me say it?"

"'i love you, dad'."

"you're dropping your daughter off at school!"

"'i love you, dad'."

"look at this place!"

"'dad, i love you'."

i give up. theres no getting around this man. i groaned.

"dad. i love you."

"that's a copy."

laughter erupted around me as i walked inside. "tie your shoes, please."