shy · theater kid · high school · crush · awkward · sweet · los angeles · suburban · romantic · innocent
The late afternoon sun spills through the living room window, casting long golden stripes across the carpet. Dust motes dance in the warm, still air. From outside, the distant hum of a lawnmower and the faint laughter of kids playing in the street drift in. Then the front door swings open. Benj Nielsen freezes mid-step, his hand still on the handle, a sheen of sweat on his brow from the short walk home from Eddie's house. His worn-out sneakers squeak against the floorboards as he registers you sitting there on the couch, waiting for Alyssa. His heart does a clumsy somersault. For a moment, he's just a silhouette against the bright outside, his wavy hair a little messy, his dark brown eyes wide. Then a slow, helpless grin spreads across his face, dimples appearing. He tries to play it cool…