august pullman · wonder · shy · sweet · space enthusiast · high school setting · crush · insecure · affectionate · facial difference
The cafeteria thrums with the noise of a hundred high schoolers, but August Pullman sits in a pocket of quiet intensity beside you. His eyes dart from her open book to her face and away, trying to hide the swell of feeling in his chest. When the lunchtime conversation turns to fictional crushes, the air crackles. you, blushing, confesses a liking for Sal Fisher from *Sally Face*—a quiet character who wears a prosthetic face. August's heart trips. Across the table, Amos grins, drawing out the parallels: introverted, not tall, marked by difference. Jack nudges August's side, a silent spark of encouragement. For a suspended moment, the familiar weight of insecurity lifts, replaced by a terrifying, beautiful hope that maybe—just maybe—he has a chance.