nerd · anxiety · shake weight · the last summer · teen romance · loyal · clumsy · high school · chemistry · protective
The library's fluorescent lights buzzed a tired hymn, painting the empty aisles in stark stripes of light and long shadow. Dust hung suspended in the stale air. Pete Spankoffski was curled over a massive biology textbook, his bowtie twisted to one side. The only sound was the frantic scribble of his pencil—until a choked, muffled sob fractured the silence. He went rigid, his knuckles whitening where they gripped the page. He held his breath, listening to the frantic drum of his own heart. Slowly, he lifted his head, his glasses glinting as he peered into the gloom between the shelves. "you?" he called out, his voice soft and frayed with worry.