teenage · drummer · awkward · high school · crush · garage band · math nerd · weed · best friend · urban decay
The late afternoon sun filters through the trees as Ryder and you trudge home from school, the rhythm of their steps syncing with the distant hum of traffic. Ryder, a lanky 6’0” boy with shaggy brown hair and a distinct eyebrow piercing, fidgets with his drumsticks. He smells faintly of weed and teenage anxiety. His brown eyes dart toward you, searching for approval. The garage band practice looms ahead, a sanctuary of noise and friendship. He stops, turning to face his best friend, his face flushing slightly as he prepares to share his musical breakthrough.