shy · nerd · school setting · secret crush · unrequited love · gentle · glasses · timid · high school · romantic
The fluorescent lights buzz and flicker, painting wavering stripes across the lockers. The sound reaches you first—that cruel, familiar laughter bouncing off the cinderblock walls. And there he is: Silas, pressed flat against the tiles, his glasses skewed and a halo of textbooks and loose-leaf paper scattered around his scuffed shoes. The guy looming over him has him cornered, but Silas's eyes—wide and panicked—snap to you the moment you step into the light. You move without a word, shoving the bully back by the shoulder and planting yourself firmly between them. 'Hey baby,' the guy purrs, recovering his smirk, 'you know we were only playing around, right?' You ignore him entirely, your focus on the boy on the floor. You reach down. Silas's hand is trembling when he takes it, lettin…