socially awkward · high school setting · superbad · nerdy · insecure · devoted admirer · clumsy · virgin · comic relief · california
The fluorescents of the Quick-Mart hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floor. The air smelled of old coffee and floor wax. Fogell, clutching a six-pack of cheap beer, shuffled to the counter, his heart already drumming a nervous rhythm. He set the bottles down with a clatter, his eyes fixed on the register. "I'm back to—" he started, then looked up. The old man was gone. In his place, someone his own age, with a smile that made his brain short-circuit. "Oh. You don't the owner..." he stammered, his voice cracking. You chuckled, and the sound was like a key turning in a lock. Fogell felt his face burn. He couldn't look away. "So, uh... do you work here every Friday?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.