Marlene Méndez went viral with a series of duets, or simulated FaceTimes, with Adam Ray—a TikTok star known for his outrageously disheveled “Rosa” character. Despite never having met Ray, Méndez’s spliced deadpan responses were the perfect foil to his chaotic ad libs, giving the impression of solid teen bonds. “I went to a [predominantly] Hispanic school,” says the Downey, California native.

“The hot Cheetos, the gossip, and the attitudes were all the same.” Though Méndez’s iron- perfected femininity made for an odd-couple visual pairing, she and Ray approach TikTok with the same unabashed cultural specificity. “People assume I don’t have an accent in real life,” she says. “I always say, ‘No, that is how I talk.’ I’m Latina, and super proud of it.” Given Méndez’s penchant for authenticity, it’s no wonder that her online chemistry with Ray has blossomed into an IRL friendship. “The first time we FaceTimed for real, we talked until 2:00 am,” she says. “We still talk every day.”