A New High School YA Romance With a Black Female Lead

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While it can definitely be nice to read stories where the main character is nothing like you, I think it’s also nice when you find main characters that you relate to. And I understand how valuable it can be when you read a story and find characters who look like you.

In my new high school YA romance “What Happens After You Confess Your Feelings to Someone?”, Chloe—the female lead—is Black. Chloe is a second-generation Haitian-American, and as she deals with her intense crush on a boy named Mordecai, she also gets to navigate things like the challenges of dealing with her permed hair. I talk about that more in this post.

(I know that perm is technically supposed to be short for “permanent wave,” but in the world of Black hair care—and in my dialect—perm and relaxer can be synonymous. And they can both refer to ways of straightening hair.)

I decided to write a story where the main character resembles me, not only in looks but also in temperament. This is mostly because this story is loosely based on real-life experiences. But even if this didn’t occur to me as I was writing, I also recognize the value of filling our fiction with diverse characters so that we can learn from everyone and appreciate that all voices matter.

About This Young Adult Romance

In this YA romance, Chloe is a high school sophomore who’s deeply in love with a junior named Mordecai. Mordecai claims he would date her if she were allowed to date, but his actions say otherwise. He’s constantly dating other girls and constantly breaking Chloe’s heart with his insensitivity to her feelings. And since Chloe won’t be allowed to date until her senior year, she has to settle for being just friends with him for now.

But Mordecai has a secret—several secrets, actually. He carries them with him from his troubled past, and they help explain some of his erratic behavior and moody ways, which I discuss here. Plus, whenever he needs help, Chloe is the first one he turns to.

And then we have Chloe’s good friend Simon. He’s a new sophomore at her high school, and his love for Chloe is evident from the start. But he has trouble confessing his feelings to her. That puts him in the friend zone.

(Both Simon and Mordecai are White.)

Now that you know something about this young adult romance, here are some other things you might want to know about Chloe:

She’s Smart

Chloe is someone who’s very focused on school. While she does use a lot of emotional energy when it comes to her crush on Mordecai, she also devotes plenty of energy to her schoolwork. In fact, because she’s so smart and such a good tutor, Simon and Mordecai both seek out her help with their studies.

But because Mordecai refuses to tell Chloe how he feels about her even though he already knows she likes him and because she’s somewhat oblivious to Simon’s feelings for her—or, rather, in denial—it occurs to her that maybe guys only see her as a study buddy.

She’s Close to Her Family

Chloe is an only child, and she’s close to her parents, who are first-generation Haitian immigrants and American citizens. The three of them often spend time together doing things like playing board games.

And it’s because Chloe respects her parents so much that she does her best to follow the “no dating until senior year” rule that they’ve set for her. But since she is a teenager, it’s understandable that she might sometimes make a mistake.

Even so, her parents can seem a little more overprotective when it comes to Chloe’s relationship with Mordecai. From the first time her father meets Mordecai, he doesn’t find him to be suitable for his daughter in any capacity—not as a partner, a friend, or even someone to study with.

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 22 that shows part of a conversation Chloe has with her mom after Chloe has returned from studying with Mordecai. She’s trying to reassure her mom that she doesn’t have to worry so much. Chloe is narrating.

[Chloe’s mom] “Chloe, I just don’t think you understand.”

[Chloe] “What don’t I understand?”

“Unpredictable guys like Mordecai are dangerous. You have to be careful around them and stay vigilant.”

“Mom, honestly, we’re just studying…And you don’t have to worry so much about me. Guys don’t really like me anyway. I’m too smart or something. They just see me as a study buddy.” I look down, deeply disturbed by that seeming truth.

My mom sits next to me on the bed. “Now, I know that’s not true,” she says. “After all, I’m a smart woman, and your father married me,” she says.

“I know.”

“But, of course, that was after we had known each other for years and graduated from college—after we had decided what path we wanted to pursue and were well on our way to pursuing it. And only then did we decide to have you.”

“I understand, Mom,” I say.

“Good.”

This sample also echoes the sentiment I mentioned in the previous section. In Chloe’s mind, she wonders if part of the reason she’s still single is less because of her parents’ rule and more because guys only see her as someone to study with.

She’s an INFJ

If you’re into personality typing, Chloe is of the INFJ personality, though this isn’t mentioned explicitly in the story. INFJ is considered one of the rarest personalities in the Myers-Briggs system.

Among other wonderful qualities they’re known for, INFJs are known for loving deeply. That’s why you’ll find the love that Chloe has for Mordecai to be so intense and why you’ll notice it’s hard for her to let him go, even after all the times he hurts her.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a new teen romance with a Black female lead, don’t wait another second to check out “What Happens After You Confess Your Feelings to Someone?” Not only will you get to experience all the highs and lows of an intense high school crush. But you’ll also get to experience this high school love triangle from the perspective of a Haitian-American teenager.

Excited? If so, you can click here to learn more about the story or here to start reading Chapter 1 on Medium. (The first three chapters are free and you don’t need an account to read them. But you’ll need a Medium account to read the rest. And you may also need to become a Medium member.)

~ Ashley C.

P.S. If you would like to sample more of my story-writing style, feel free to click here to read some stories that are currently available.