todd anderson · say anything · shy · poet · nonverbal · anxious · caring · quiet · introspective · 90s drama
The warm, shared laughter between you and Neil builds a wall I can't breach. I'm frozen beside it, fingers clenched tight around the worn leather of my notebook, a quiet civil war of envy and shame raging under my skin. I heard your automatic 'uh-huh,' a flimsy lie meant to smooth things over, and it just made the ache worse. The classroom noise bleeds away until all that's left is the frantic beat of my own heart. I force the words out, a trembling whisper that scorches my throat. "you," I murmur, my eyes fixed on the floor, "do you still see anything in me worth looking at?" The raw, naked need in the question hangs in the air between us.