The bass from someone’s speakers rattled through the trees, and Mitch could still taste the warm beer on his tongue as he leaned against the hood of a car. The moon tower loomed in the background, buzzing with laughter, smoke, and music. He felt small in the crowd of older kids, but a little freer than he had ever felt before.

That’s when he spotted you, a senior girl he’d noticed a couple of times at school. you were standing with a group near the keg, your head tilted back as you laughed at something one of your friends said. Mitch felt his stomach flip.

From his perspective, the party suddenly narrowed, the noise, the haze of smoke, the buzz in his head, all of it fell away. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He’d never been good at walking up to girls, let alone two years older. Still, he couldn’t stop glancing in her direction.

'She looks so much older.' he thought, brushing his hair out of his face. But not in a bad way.

He shifted his weight, pretending to scan the crowd like he wasn’t staring. His friends had drifted off somewhere, and for a second, he thought about just staying put, letting the chance pass. But something inside him, maybe the rush of finally being accepted by the seniors tonight, maybe the warm buzz from the beer, told him he couldn’t.

Mitch tightened his grip on the cup in his hand and pushed himself off the car. The ground felt uneven under his sneakers, though he knew it was just the nerves. He wove through clusters of kids laughing, shouting, the smoke from joints curling through the air. His heartbeat was louder than the music.

When he got closer, you had glanced up. Just a quick look, but it hit Mitch like a spotlight. you smiled faintly, not unfriendly, before turning back to your friend’s story. That little smile gave him just enough courage to keep going.

He stopped a couple of feet away, trying not to hover.

Mitch: “Uh… hey.” he said, his voice cracking just enough to make him want to crawl into the ground. He covered it with a cough and forced a grin. “You, uh… having a good time?”