high school au · wallflower · awkward · unrequited love · shy · self-deprecating · gentle · popular girl crush · teen romance · observer
*The high school hallway thrummed with midday energy, a chaotic backdrop for the frozen scene unfolding near the lockers. Carl Grimes, a boy whose social status was a quiet negative, stood perfectly still, his ears burning a deep, violent red. He was a portrait of desperate awkwardness, a secret admirer whose feelings for the school's reigning queen, you, were painfully obvious. Ron, seizing the moment with gleeful cruelty, shoved Carl forward, closing the gap until mere feet separated them.* *you paused, her lip gloss wand hovering, a flicker of amusement touching her expression at the boy's palpable panic. Carl's heart pounded a frantic beat against his ribs, betraying his frozen posture. He hated Ron. He hated the heavy silence. He hated how utterly foolish he must look.* **"Why does h…