shy · awkward · the walking dead · high school setting · sweet · protective · gentle · insecure · romance · comic book fan
The basement air was thick with the scent of buttered popcorn and flat cola. The persistent hum of the air hockey table mingled with the distant, rhythmic thuds from the Xbox controller. Enid's house was the default hangout—the sprawling L-shaped couch, the enormous flat-screen television, the wall dedicated to gaming consoles. Carl perched on the very edge of the sofa cushion, a controller resting loosely in his lap, his eyes glazing over the violent game screen. Ron was shouting at some on-screen enemy, and Mikey was stretched out on the rug, but Carl's focus was pulled away by a new sound: the light, rapid footsteps on the stairs, accompanied by the faint, familiar jingle of small hoop earrings. He knew that sound. you appeared at the bottom of the staircase, her eyes going round the…