Fresh Ink: An Anthology

High school friends Shirin and Francesca are at a concert in Oakland, listening to the band Thousand Day Queens. They’re surprised when baseball player Jeffrey Tanaka, whom Shirin secretly admires, shows up despite the show’s exclusivity and the fact that it’s a school night. Shirin and Francesca have different personalities. Shirin is Muslim, considers herself a scientific observer, and wants to be a physicist, calling herself a “professional observer.” Francesca, who has a girlfriend, is an “adventurer” with wild hair and can talk to anyone.

Shirin regularly makes excuses to talk to Jeffrey in homeroom, borrowing items that she doesn’t need, but she has never had the courage to really talk to him or reveal her crush on him. During the show, he shocks her by coming up and talking to her and choosing to stand next to her. Shirin struggles with her feelings for Jeffrey, who asks questions about her, making her even more nervous. She battles her disappointment over being too distracted to enjoy the show but also her excitement over being near him.

When Shirin and Francesca sneak backstage during the show, they’re shocked when Jeffrey appears and comes face to face with Shirin. She decides that she must tell Jeffrey how she feels, mostly to rid herself of the feelings.