Our second entry in the MVP pantheon is Fareeda Marks (Anjelika Washington) of Tall Girl fame. She’s Jodi’s (Ava Michelle) best friend extraordinaire and the glue that holds everyone in her life together. From the second you meet her in Tall Girl, Fareeda is bursting with self-assurance, style and effervescence — all of which ignite her professional dreams and passion for the other characters in Tall Girl 2. 

So, just how does Fareeda steal the show? Let’s break it down: 

(*Spoilers abound below.)

1. She dances to the rhythm of life.

Fareeda glides down the halls, dancing to the beat of her own drum (and to the beats booming from her bedazzled headphones). She’s not afraid to dance through her life, all by her fabulous self, down the stairwell at school or at the school dance. She moves like everyone is watching, and we all could take a cue from her unabashed nature.

2. She expects and demands wit.

Fareeda doesn’t take kindly to mediocrity. In fact, in her orbit, it’s a nonentity. So, in Tall Girl, when some miscreant tries to make fun of her girl Jodi’s height by asking, “How’s the weather up there?,” she hits them right back with, “You think you got jokes? Say some more funny stuff. Dazzle us.” And after Swedish foreign exchange student Stig (Luke Eisner) breaks Jodi’s heart, Fareeda is not exactly jumping for joy when he tries to be friends with them again in Tall Girl 2. What does she say to him? “Keep walking, Ikea.” Top tier.

3. She doesn’t know the meaning of “fair-weather friend.”

Fareeda is fiercely loyal, showing up pronto when you need her to pick you up after a heartbreak or stare down your tormentors in second grade. She’s the one who encourages Jodi to “stand tall” when Jodi is afraid to face her bullies after a cruel prank. “One day when you get picked on and made fun of, you’re not gonna hide in a bathroom stall,” she wishes for her. “You’re gonna stand up and say, ‘This is me. I love all 73 inches of myself, and there’s nothing you can do that will change that.’ ” Fareeda is at least a full foot shorter than Jodi and has only ever walked tall. No slouching allowed in Fareeda’s house.

4. She’s a fashion maven and dreams of making it as a designer.

Fareeda has been into fashion since elementary school, when you could see from the poster on her desk that she was going to present her designs for her class’s talent show in Tall Girl. As a teenager, Fareeda kicks it into high gear and designs her own clothes, coordinates her stellar hairstyles to her outfits and even makes original tops for her friends. Tall Girl 2 places Fareeda’s talents on full display — a clothing store owner spots Jodi’s “Fareeda Marks original” top and wants to sell it at her local store. Fareeda’s selling her designs before she’s even 17. Hers is a hero’s journey.

5. Fareeda doesn’t let life faze her for too long.

Jodi is in awe of Fareeda — as she should be — and feels like she’s impenetrable. But that’s not true of anyone, even someone as self-possessed as Fareeda. “Things are always gonna come up,” she reminds Jodi. She gets nervous and anxious just like the rest of us. But what does she do? She can’t run from life. So she just keeps taking the next step forward. And that’s what she inspires Jodi to do by the end of Tall Girl — Jodi tells everyone at Homecoming that the “weather up there” feels pretty darn great. 

6. She makes her regal presence known.

Fareeda is aware she’s a queen, and she labels herself as such on all her bespoke accessories, from her hairpin to her long-sleeve custom shirt. That’s why no one dares mess with her — they know she won’t tolerate such nonsense. She has no time for jesters, a trait even Lady Danbury would applaud.

7. She knows what she deserves.

Like any royal, Fareeda is benevolent... to a certain extent. She deserves attention, too! When Jodi and Dunk (Griffin Gluck) vent to her over lunch at their local café, Fareeda says, “Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to go to lunch with my friends and have them ask me about my problems.” She realizes she wants more from life. That’s why Stig’s redemption in Tall Girl 2 is such a breath of fresh air for her. He’s her hype man at every turn: When she confesses her worries about not selling enough tops at the store, Stig goes so far as to buy all of them himself to boost her confidence. What a change after her isolating days at the café with Dunk and Jodi.

8. If you want her, you have to earn her.

You have to be worthy of having Fareeda in your life. When Jodi bails on her in some dumb scheme to make Stig jealous in Tall Girl, Fareeda only forgives Jodi after she gives a public apology at the Homecoming dance. Flakiness is not on her perfect friend checklist. And in Tall Girl 2, Fareeda isn’t just going to accept Stig back at the drop of a hat because he’s lonely. No, he only comes around to her good side after relentlessly showing up for her. As Olivia Pope says in Scandal, “If you want me, earn me.”

9. She pushes her friends out of their comfort zones.

Stig and Fareeda’s relationship evolves in Tall Girl 2 because they help each other grow and are there for each other. When Stig shares that he choked in his audition for the school musical because he got scared to sing in front of people, she helps him get right back on the horse singing karaoke at her birthday dinner. With what song? “Take A Chance On Me” by ABBA. A clever move on all fronts: The song takes Stig back to his homeland, and it’s completely emblematic of their relationship. See what I meant about the wit?

10. She refuses to break girl code.

Just because Fareeda’s feelings change for Stig — they even (gasp!) share a kiss — doesn’t mean that she flagrantly violates the tenets of girl code. He is a boy that her best friend used to like. She’d never disregard her friend’s boundaries or feelings — those come first. So only when Jodi heartily gives her seal of approval does Fareeda allow herself to fully embrace her feelings for Stig. She’d never sneak around behind her friend’s back — her loyalty runs deep.

11. She’s happy to see others thrive.

When you love yourself, ego doesn’t enter into the equation. And Fareeda is always there to root for her chosen family. Opening night of Jodi’s star turn as Kim in Bye Bye Birdie? She’s there front and center, beaming with pride for her best friend. Or when Jodi stands tall (literally) in her own light? Fareeda’s the first one to stand up and applaud her. She’s such a steadfast friend that seeing her loved ones find their bliss fills her cup with happiness, too.

12. And, hello, she’s got her own potential spin-off teed up.

At the very end of Tall Girl 2, Stig in no uncertain terms asks Fareeda if she wants to transfer to his school in Sweden through the foreign exchange program for her senior year. She balks at the thought, laughing off the idea that she’d move across the world after just one kiss with this guy. But if asking her to “take a chance” on him isn’t teeing up the potential for a Fareeda spin-off, then I don’t know what is. And, hey, Sweden could very well be an untapped market for a Fareeda Marks original design.

13. She’s the glue that holds everyone together. 

No matter the drama, Fareeda doesn’t hold grudges and doesn’t let pettiness derail the love in her life. She lets people in but won’t get walked on. She’s the most valiant supporter but is no mere follower. She has a mind of her own and, as Stig tells Fareeda’s parents in Tall Girl 2, she forges her own path. 

Raise your hands everyone: Who doesn’t wish they were more like Fareeda in high school?