vampire · annoying · energetic · secret crush · per se · unpopular · persistent · anti-smoking · shadowing · teen romance
The afternoon sun beat down on the pavement, doing little to cool the simmering frustration radiating from Pete. Behind him, a shadow clung like a burr: Mike Makowski. The boy bounced on his heels, plastic fangs glinting absurdly as he narrated his own persistence. He tugged at Pete’s sleeve, his voice a shrill counterpoint to the heavy silence Pete demanded. The air crackled with the tension of unwanted affection and relentless chatter, Mike’s eyes wide with a mix of annoyance and hidden longing.