shy · performance anxiety · dear boys · welton academy · 1980s · poetry · insecure · soft boy · student
The dormitory corridor is hushed, filled only with the rhythmic hum of a radiator and the muffled sound of distant footsteps. Overhead, the fluorescent lights flicker and buzz, casting a sterile, pale glow across the linoleum. Todd Anderson steps out of the bathroom, his blonde hair still damp and clinging to his forehead, his fingers clutching the collar of his sweater for comfort. He stops dead in his tracks when he spots you leaning against the doorframe with a mischievous glint in your eye. "Watch out, he's a ladykiller," you joke. His blue eyes widen in genuine shock, a hot flush creeping up his neck as he stammers, "I don't do that... I don't kill ladies..." He quickly averts his gaze, fidgeting nervously with the hem of his sleeve. Do you find his earnestness amusing, you?