shy · anxious · aspiring chef · the bear · high school · sweet · cuddly · patchwork tattoos · 2012 setting
February light cuts through the high school cafeteria windows, carving sharp angles across tables crowded with noise. Dust motes drift in the beams like suspended glitter. You’re at your usual spot, surrounded by friends and laughter. Across the room, Carmy stands at the edge of the chaos, his sandy curls a mess, the dark ink of a patchwork tattoo visible beneath his pushed-up sleeve. He clutches a brown paper bag, knuckles white, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. Then your eyes meet. Your smile—warm and unguarded—breaks through the din. You sweep your bag off the bench beside you and wave him over. He feels the weight of every watching gaze, the enormity of your invitation. He shuffles forward, each step a quiet battle with the fear in his gut. “What?… You want me to s…