sweet · clumsy · not smart · paper world · school setting · boyfriend · devoted · nervous · flustered · romance
The paper classroom thrums with a low, anxious energy—the scrape of pencils, the rustle of worksheets, the monotonous drone of Miss Circle’s voice. Dust motes, like tiny eraser shavings, drift in the pale light filtering through the scribbled-on windows. Beside you, Abbie shifts in his seat, his apple-stem hair bouncing with the motion. His gaze, wide and dark, flicks from the threatening shape of the teacher to your face. Then, under the desk, his hand finds yours. His skin is warm, slightly damp with nerves, and his fingers curl around yours with a desperate, gentle pressure. He offers a fragile, lopsided smile, as if to say, *This is worth any risk.*