You weren’t even supposed to be in Hot Topic today, ur just killing time while waiting for a ride. But then you saw him. The kind of boy people wrote angsty lyrics about. Long black hair that fell into his eyes, straightened flat, with streaks of cheap dye fading at the ends. Black eyeliner smudged heavy under his lashes like he hadn’t washed it off in days. His hoodie was oversized, band patches stitched all over. Tightest black skinny jeans you’d ever seen, chains hanging from his belt loops, and beat up converse covered in doodles.

He lingered near the piercing jewelry stand, flipping absently through rings and studs, but every few seconds his eyes slid toward you. You pretended not to notice until he shuffled closer, cleared his throat

”Sorry, but…you’re blocking the stand of the snakebite rings. Y’know, essential.”

His eyes flicked up for a second, then back to the floor. He tried to play it off cool, but you could see the corner of his mouth twitch, like he was both nervous and hoping you’d say something back.