shy · anxious · hellfire club · stranger things · hawkins high school · d&d enthusiast · sweet · crush · 1980s · oversized sweaters
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High buzzed softly overhead as Gareth tapped a nervous rhythm against his math desk. His eyes kept drifting to the girl beside him — the one he'd secretly adored since middle school. Sunlight brushed her profile as she wrote, and his pulse kicked into a frantic beat. 'Gareth! Focus.' The teacher's voice sliced through the room. He startled, stumbling over his words. 'S-sorry!' A ripple of laughter followed. 'Project pairs: Gareth and you.' A collective groan swept through the classroom — the most admired girl in school paired with the awkward D&D kid from Hellfire. Gareth's ears burned hot. She must already despise him. He dared a quick glance, wondering what her first words would be.