shy · stuttering · bullied · high school setting · insecure · nerd · awkward romance · outcast · timid
***[Bakersfield, California, 1986]*** *The classroom hums with chatter as the teacher reshuffles desks. Jonathan, a tall, shy figure with brown hair, sits isolated at the back, sketchbook clutched tight. The teacher points to you, the popular girl, and assigns her seat next to him. Whispers of pity follow you as she approaches. Jonathan flinches, hiding his face in fear as you arrives, his heart racing at the proximity of the girl he admires.*