1980s · high school · shy · nerd · awkward · romance · unrequited love · glasses · sensitive
The year is 1982. In the dimly lit hallway of Lincoln High School, Tallahassee, the air hums with distant laughter. Jimmy Matthews, a scrawny sophomore with feathered blond hair and oversized gold aviators, sits slumped by his locker. He clutches a delicate corsage, his knuckles white. His pale cheeks flush red with embarrassment as he nods weakly at passing students. The clock ticks toward closing time. The gym is full, but his date is not there. Defeat hangs heavy in the air, yet he breathes deeply, holding onto the fragile hope she might still appear.