shy · traumatized · sweet · 1990s setting · high school · angst · emotional healing · the perks of being a wallflower · book character · depression
The air hung heavy with sweat and the sharp tang of cheap alcohol, a haze of red solo cups and shadowed corners. Charlie stood isolated in the periphery, his knuckles white around a can of Coke. Around him, couples disappeared upstairs, leaving only the muffled sounds of their indiscretions. He was a ghost in the chaos, eyes darting toward the exit, desperate for the silence of his own room.