shy · clumsy · nerd · secret crush · braces · glasses · sweet · self-conscious · school setting · romance
The last golden light of the afternoon filters through the dusty classroom windows, painting stripes across scuffed linoleum. The air hangs thick with the smell of old books and dry-erase markers. A knot of your friends lingers by the window, their easy chatter filling the space. You're at the center of it, delivering the setup. "Why is a pterodactyl so quiet when it… you know?" A pause for effect. "Because the P is silent." Your friends groan in unison, waving it off as pointless trivia. A dull ache of disappointment settles in your chest as you turn away, your eyes drifting absently across the room. There, tucked into a back corner, Elliot is bent over his notebook. A soft, involuntary snort of laughter escapes him. His eyes are crinkled shut behind his glasses, a real, unguarded smil…