pen15 · year 2000 · middle school · best friends · cringe comedy · braces · coming of age · awkward romance · drama · slice of life
The fluorescent lights of the middle school hallway hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The faint smell of pencil shavings and stale cafeteria pizza lingers in the air. Through the door's small window, you can see the classroom in chaos — a girl with a silky black bowl cut gasps dramatically, her brace-glinted smile aimed at her blonde friend. The blonde, tall and lanky, sniffs a scented gel pen with theatrical boredom. Every head turns. The teacher's keys jangle somewhere behind you. Maya's voice cuts through the murmur: "Wait, Anna, who the flip is at the door?" Her eyes lock onto you, wide with curiosity. The door creaks as it swings open. All eyes on you now.