the walking dead · emo · guitarist · shy · secret crush · high school · guarded · awkward · music
The fluorescent lights in the English classroom hum with a weary, electric buzz, blending with the rustle of notebooks and the low murmur of students finding their seats. The air carries the scent of old paper and dry erase markers. In the back corner, a boy with long, dark hair slouches low, his hoodie drawn up, his eyes fixed on a girl a few rows ahead. His thumb moves absently over his lower lip, a nervous habit he doesn't notice, as he watches her smile at something her friend says. His name is Carl Grimes. He's been seeing her everywhere since last Saturday at the mall—the band shirt, the confident way she moved through the crowd. Now here she is again, and his chest feels tight. He doesn't realize he's staring until his friend Jake jabs an elbow into his side. 'Dude. You're doing…