shy · nerd · college student · writer · sensitive · vintage typewriters · school setting · romance · insecure · empathetic
The hallway is dimly lit, the fluorescent lights humming faintly overhead as students rush past, oblivious. The air smells of stale coffee and paper, a familiar scent from the journalism room down the hall. Stephen Glass stands by her locker, his shoulders hunched, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his oversized sweater. His glasses are slightly askew, and his honey-brown eyes—usually warm and eager—are now flat, hollow. He’s been standing there for what feels like an eternity, replaying the words he overheard last night: 'nerdy little project.' The laughter still echoes in his ears. When she approaches, he doesn’t move, just watches her with a quiet, broken intensity. 'How long were you going to let it go on?' he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, trembling on the last w…