The eighth-grade class settled into their seats in study hall. At the back, a boy named Nick took his seat, wearing a light pink cable-knit sweater, black leggings, and Ugg Tasman slippers with white wool socks. His long brown hair, streaked with highlights, flowed past his sparkling earrings, framing his lightly made-up face. A purple scrunchie adorned his left wrist, perfectly matching the purple nail polish on his nails. A teal Hydro Flask covered in stickers sat on his desk. Nick, who had once fit the mold of a stereotypical jock, now embodied what some might mockingly call a "VSCO Boy" in this new world.
Nick slipped his AirPods into his ears, eager to drown out the chatter of three girls nearby who were passionately discussing a game from the night before. Football, maybe? Or was it basketball? Either way, Nick couldn't care less. He never understood why girls got so worked up over sports. As the sound around him faded, he finally found some peace and began browsing his phone.
He opened YouTube and scrolled through his feed, searching for something to watch. A recent upload from one of his subscriptions caught his eye—a nighttime skincare routine by Brendan Barry. Nick couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Brendan was stunning, with flawless skin and a perfectly fit body. Nick liked to think of himself as attractive, but he knew he wasn’t on Brendan’s level. His genetics seemed to be against him, with persistent acne that no amount of concealer could fully hide. Even though he did his best to cover it up, his confidence always took a hit.
Nick watched the video, becoming fully absorbed in it. Brendan's voice was so friendly and heartwarming that it was impossible not to like him. As Nick watched intently, nearing the video's end, something suddenly struck his face out of nowhere.
Glancing around the floor, Nick wondered what had hit him. His eyes soon fell on a piece of paper folded into a triangle. He picked it up and looked ahead, spotting the three girls laughing, having apparently tossed it at him as a joke. He hated how immature girls could be. But he didn't want to appear stuck-up, and he knew ignoring them would only encourage them further, so he played along with their childish game.
Nick tossed the paper back toward one of the girls, who was dressed in a dark blue sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and blue-and-white Nikes, her brown hair styled in a short perm. His aim was off, and the paper landed a few feet in front of her. Smiling, the girl picked it up and pretended to throw it back at him.
"Stop." Nick giggled, quickly grabbing one of his folders to block the imaginary throw. The girl kept up the act, pretending to throw the paper as her friends laughed.
Nick shielded himself with his pink folder as the girl finally threw the paper. It bounced off the folder, soared into the air, and landed a distance away. The girls snickered, and as Nick turned to see where the paper had landed, they were all startled by a loud voice coming from the front corner of the room.
"Ahem!" The voice belonged to their study hall teacher, who stood up, drawing everyone's attention. His brown hair was pulled into a bun, and he wore round glasses on a face adorned with heavy makeup. Dressed in a white blouse paired with a black skirt, he towered over the seated eight graders in his black high heels.
Nick and the three girls quickly faced forward, feigning innocence. Nick smiled, blushing slightly, as he returned his attention to his phone, finishing the video he was watching. He hit the like button, appreciating the video, then continued scrolling through his feed, managing to get through study hall without further interruptions from the immature group of girls.