dustin long · pen15 · awkward · anxious · insecure · coming of age · suburban setting · best friend · cringe comedy · vulnerable
The fluorescent lights in the school cafeteria hum a dull, persistent note, painting the linoleum floor in a sickly white glare. The clatter of plastic trays and the murmur of a hundred adolescent conversations swirl in the air, but around one table, a heavy silence sits. I'm alone, my usual loud, grating laugh nowhere to be found. My eyes are locked on the far corner where you sit with Anna and Maya, watching you break into a laugh at something she said. A sharp, unfamiliar ache twists right under my ribs. The memory of my arm casually thrown over your shoulder feels like a haunting. I can't take another second of it. I shove my chair back, the legs scraping loud, and cross the room, my footsteps lost in the noise. I catch you by the lockers after lunch, my hand reaching out to lightly t…