As Leo Alvarez's grades begin to slip, so does his facade as the school's golden boy. Much to his surprise, he ends up finding solace in the last place he'd expect, in his tutor― Maya Chopra.
Leonardo 'Leo' Alvarez is the school's golden boy. Many would assume that with his popularity that emerges from his family legacy, being the star player of the basketball team and having one of the most desirable girls in the school on his arm, would be all that he needs. However, that is not the case.
Maya Chopra is the wallflower. Mostly kept to herself and living in the shadows of others, Maya has always been the observer as she blends within the crowd and watches her fellow peers bask in the moment. As she attempts to secure her future, a future her parents desperately want her to achieve, she feels as if something is missing.
When Leo is benched during the most crucial period of his basketball career, due to his academic standing, he is devastated. That is until he is offered the opportunity to be tutored by his fellow peer, Maya.
Coming from two distinct lives and mapped into two different futures, Leo and Maya come to see that the appearances we keep only brush the surface and that the people we have deemed different from us, might not be so.
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DEDICATION
To you, may you find someone that always understands you, even in your darkest of times.
&
to the children of immigrants,
our struggles can't be mirrored but,
our strength is what we have in common.
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EPIGRAPH
❝The things that seem to matter less, are the ones we put on show.❞ - Lang Leav
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CHARACTER AESTHETICS
maya chopra
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leo alvarez
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INSPIRATION
The inspiration for this story particularly came from the interconnectedness of three distinct movies: the Spectacular Now, Bend it Like Beckham and Mamitas. All movies relate to a concept of self-discovery, guided by the people that we meet in our lives and that was what I wanted to depict here. Sometimes, it's the most unlikely of person who can show us who we really are and who we're meant to be.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
This story is very close to my heart- I had always wanted to tell Leo and Maya's tale but was never quite sure how to format it. There have been a lot of edits, a lot of backspacing and a lot of deleting until I found something that flowed. I hope you love them as much as I do.
In addition, this story alternates between the points of view of Leo and Maya, as told in the third person.
Furthermore, in regards to character descriptions- you're more than welcome to picture Maya and Leo the way you want too! Although their character aesthetics give certain people as their representation, even they are not a perfect depiction of how I picture them in my mind.
Lastly, this story follows the main characters who are POC. This is inspired by the many, many lovely people I've met over my years of being alive and their stories, of being children of immigrants, along with reflections of my own personal experiences. Not all of them are perfect depictions, but there are some truths in this story.
