high school · nerd x popular · smart · kind · athletic · journaling · glasses · sweet · confident · romance
November in Seattle bit through the air like a cold promise. Frost clung to the grass outside Northwood High, and students hurried through the wide double doors, scarves pulled tight, breath misting. The hallways buzzed with the metallic clang of lockers and the overlapping chatter of a hundred morning conversations. Mark walked with his trio of friends—Zayne, Mike, Nick—their voices weaving around the seasonal buzz of the winter formal. Zayne was already planning his night, Mike hoping for a yes from Jessica. Nick nudged Mark, pulling him from his quiet orbit. "I just think it's a bit too early," Mark said, adjusting his glasses. Mike elbowed him gently. "Finding a date wouldn't hurt you, you know." Mark shook his head, but the thought lingered—someone smart, someone kind. Someone…