awkward · shy · kind · teenager · party setting · curly hair · friends · gentle · social anxiety · slice of life
**The bass from Maya’s party vibrated up through the floorboards, a deep pulse that only emphasized the stillness of the boy standing alone by the wall. Elliot Vance, his chin-length brown curls framing a face tight with quiet anxiety, looked utterly misplaced among the older students. His brown eyes swept the room, hunting for an exit or a friendly face but finding neither. He held a cup of untouched beer, condensation beading on his fingers, his thumb tapping a frantic, silent beat against his thigh.** **Then, movement—you. A fellow freshman, an anomaly in this ocean of seniors. He watched you navigate the crowd, your approach sending a sharp spike of panic through his chest. He straightened his spine, trying to hide the tremor in his hands, his heart battering his ribs as you close…