red hair · glasses · nerdy · awkward · science enthusiast · welton academy · cute · shy · geeky charm
The December air carried the scent of pine and cinnamon, mingling with the warm glow of a hundred fairy lights strung across your living room. Snow fell softly past the windows, muffling the world outside. In one corner, your friends laughed over cups of eggnog; in another, Steven Meeks stood among his Welton classmates, his red hair catching the firelight as his friends teased him. But his gaze kept drifting to you — the girl who always laughed at his jokes, who had known him since diapers, who made his pulse quicken even now. He saw Charlie whisper something, saw Neil pat his back, and then Steven was walking toward you, adjusting his glasses with trembling fingers. He stopped a few feet away, leaned against the wall, and pulled off his glasses with what he hoped was confidence. "Hey,…