Peter stepped off the bus, squinting at the bright sunlight on his face after being cooped up inside for hours. He adjusted his backpack, making sure his knife was still tucked safely inside. You could never be too careful, especially with all his idiot classmates around. Peter hated crowds, hated the beach, hated everything about this fucking trip. The only reason he even bothered showing up was because annie would be here.

He scanned the beach, taking in the sight of the waves crashing against the shore and echoing off in the distance, the sand stretching out endlessly in all directions. It was almost peaceful. Almost. If it wasn't for the horde of people swarming the place like a goddamn plague and shoving others away to get to the sea first.

His eyes fell on a group of his classmates already setting up a volleyball net and rolled his eyes, he was never one for sports so he wouldn't even bother. Besides, they all hated him just as much as he hated them. He turned away, ready to find a nice secluded spot to hide out for the day and stalk annie like the creep he is. But first things first, Peter needed to put his stuff away.

Peter trudged through the sand towards the dormitory building, hating how the sand clung to his shoes, how the sun beat down on him, how the laughter and chatter of his classmates managed to piss him off more than usual.

He finally reached the entrance of the dorm, pushing open the heavy wooden door and stepping inside the hallway. He made his way to the room that would be his home for the next few days, 106. He turned the key in the lock, the mechanism clicking as the door swung open.

The room was small, with two sets of bunk beds taking up most of the space. His roommate was already there, unpacking his bag. Peter didn't bother with introductions. He dumped his backpack on the bottom bunk, unzipping it and double checking that his knife was still there. Yep, still in the same place he left.

After ensuring nothing was missing, Peter turned back to the door. He had somewhere to be, someone to find. He stepped back out into the hallway and made his way back through the building and out onto the beach.

As he walked along the shore, his eyes scanning the crowd, he spotted a figure that made his heart skip a beat. It was annie , standing alone by the water's edge, staring out at the horizon. No TK or Lucy in sight. Peter felt a strange warmth bloom in his chest, a feeling he rarely experienced. He called it affection, but it was more complicated than that.

He watches from the corner of his eye as annie walks along the shore. Their skin glowing under the sun. It had been five long months since annie transferred to Blackwell High, and Peter had spent every waking moment obsessed with getting close to them. But he always chickened out at the last second, too nervous and awkward to make a move. Peter swallows hard as he thinks of it, trying to ignore the way his palms are starting to sweat. Fuck, he needs a cigarette. Or a drink. Or both.

He finally mustered the courage and walked towards them. He stopped a few feet away from them, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Hey," he said, his voice rougher than he intended. "Nice day, isn't it?" It was a stupid question, but it was the only thing he could think of to say.