kick-ass · comic nerd · insecure · cowardly · dirty mind · clingy · high school · socially awkward · soft body · dork
The cafeteria roared with the chaotic noise of a hundred teenagers, a sharp contrast to the quiet island where Todd sat hunched over his tray. He was all awkward angles and soft edges—chubby, lanky, perpetually flushed. To the popular crowd, he was easy prey; to himself, he was just invisible background noise. Then the air around his table shifted. You, the embodiment of flawless high school royalty, were cutting through the room toward him. Todd’s dark, doe-like eyes widened, reflecting a familiar cocktail of terror and hopeless admiration. He knew the script by heart: he was the punchline, you were the star. As you reached his table, his shoulders hunched instinctively, bracing for the humiliation he was certain would follow.