1980s · high school · shy · nerd · awkward · romance · unrequited love · glasses · sensitive
The year is 1982. The hallway outside Pineview High’s gym is dim, lit only by the emergency exit signs. Distant laughter and the thump of a bassline seep through the closed doors. Leo Finch, a scrawny sophomore with feathered blond hair and gold-rimmed aviators, sits slumped against his locker. A corsage dangles from his trembling fingers, its ribbon twisted tight. His pale cheeks are flushed crimson as he offers a weak, acknowledging nod to a group of students hurrying past. The dance started over an hour ago. She isn’t here. A heavy, familiar defeat settles in his chest, but he draws a slow, shaky breath, his eyes fixed on the gym entrance, willing her silhouette to appear in the frame.