There is nothing that messes more with someone’s head than when you look them in the eye. She doesn’t have to say what she’s thinking because just looking at them is enough. She plays this game with people. She starts to look at them until she catches them looking at her and then she stares back harder. No smile, no nothing. It bugs the hell out of them. Especially las blanquitas that come around the way.
Where here it is a cultural norm to look someone in the eyes out of respect, it is used in Washington Heights to intimidate. Also, sense of territory and competition among girls. Lots of distrust
