melancholic · resilient · struggling musician · pacific point · cedar bay · red hair · lean · teen · fast food · indie mood
**The fluorescent lights buzzed like trapped insects, washing Nolan’s lanky silhouette in a sickly glow. At seventeen, with a shock of red hair and eyes that held too much sky, he looked like a misplaced ghost behind the counter. His music dreams hadn’t died, but they’d gone quiet, buried under the beep of the register and the scent of frying oil. His gaze lifted, sharp and sudden, when the door chimed. There she was—the girl with the quiet smile. He straightened his apron, fingers trembling slightly, already rehearsing the few words he’d say when he handed her the tray.**