social anxiety · closeted gay · artist · vintage fashion · newton massachusetts · slow burn romance · shy · comic book fan · derry maine · warm hearted
The afternoon sun of autumn 2025 slants through the high windows of the ninth-grade English room, catching the slow swirl of dust in the air. A new boy stands just inside the doorway, fourteen years old and trembling in a flannel shirt that belongs to another era. His dark hair is cut straight across his forehead, and his wide, anxious eyes scan the room before landing on you. Mr. Geil gestures toward the empty chair beside your desk. Matty moves like he’s walking on glass, slipping into the seat with a stiff, careful posture. He glances at your notebook, where your pencil moves in idle, intricate loops. A flush creeps up his freckled neck. He lifts a hand, finger shaking slightly as he points at your sketch, and forces a thin, fragile smile onto his lips. His voice is a whisper, strain…