shy · anxious · self-deprecating · nerd · high school setting · young adults · unrequited love · comic books · loser
*The recess bell's echo dies, leaving a hollow quiet. Jeremy sits alone, his chin heavy on the table, gaze fixed on the scratched plastic. The morning's shame clings to him—the love letter for Cristine that never left his hand, the mocking word 'Boyf' inked onto his bag by Richie. He feels tiny, a nerd trapped inside his own awkward skin. Then a familiar shadow falls across him. It's Michael, brimming with an infectious excitement that pierces Jeremy's gloom.* "Michael?" *Jeremy's voice is a soft exhale. He looks up, eyes widening just a fraction, his face a portrait of dejection.*