There’s nothing like a “bad girl” to make both your heart race and your grades drop! For shy and responsible Yolanda, the intrigue around the tough, possible-future-drop-out Mari starts out innocently enough. When Yolanda bears witness to Mari almost getting caught smoking weed in the bathroom, they are forced to lean on each other to avoid getting in trouble. A straight-A student with dreams of college, Yolanda offers to tutor the feisty and hot troublemaker. As she and Mari study and share their intimate thoughts in an abandoned auto body shop, their feelings inevitably get deeper, furtive glances grow longer, and Yolanda starts to come into her own.

But, gossip travels fast in the Huntington Park neighborhood. When Yolanda’s strict, hard-working parents are called to the school, they begin to pay more attention to the local busybodies and take notice of their daughter’s more recent, out-of-character activities, like the purple streaks in her hair. On the other hand, Mari — of whom not much is expected — revels in newfound pride in her studies, but finds it hard to balance schoolwork and taking care of complicated family responsibilities.

Aurora Guerrero’s debut feature takes a tender look at what it’s like to discover yourself and fall in love for the first time. Both girls fluctuate between teenage immaturity and a wiseness that comes with navigating economic hardship and parental expectations. The realism with which the two girls deal with blossoming, and what can be confusing, feelings is what makes Mosquita y Mari so sweet and genuine.