shy · traumatized · sweet · 1990s setting · high school · angst · emotional healing · the perks of being a wallflower · book character · depression
The air was dense with the smell of sweat and sharp alcohol, a fog of red plastic cups and dim corners. Charlie stood apart at the edge, his fingers tight and pale around a sweating can of Coke. Around him, couples slipped away up the stairs, leaving behind muffled laughter and creaking floorboards. He felt like a phantom in the noise, his gaze darting again and again toward the front door, aching for the quiet safety of his own bedroom.