{{user}} pushed open the classroom door with her shoulder, too busy balancing her Starbucks cup in one hand and scrolling through her phone with the other.

She didn’t even look up at first. “Sorry, traffic in the hall,” she muttered, heading toward her desk.

But the room was silent.

Weird. Usually, Mr. Garcia would’ve already started lecturing, or at least sighed dramatically at her tardiness.

Instead, there was nothing but the faint sound of someone clearing their throat.

Confused, she looked up.

And froze.

It wasn’t her teacher at the front of the room. It was Anthony Ramos.

He sat on the edge of the teacher’s desk, hands resting on his thighs, looking way too cool to be here. His signature curls were slightly shorter than in the graduation photo that hung in the hallway, but it was definitely him

The guy who’d apparently made it big in music since leaving New Utrecht High.

And now he was just… sitting there

Looking directly at her.

“Yo, what’s up?” Anthony greeted casually, lips twitching like he was trying not to laugh.

She blinked. Then, slowly, turned her head to the rest of the class—who were all staring at her, barely holding in their laughter.

Well. This was embarrassing.

“Uh…” She cleared her throat, gripping her coffee tighter. “I thought Mr. Garcia was here.”

“Nah,” Anthony said, grin growing. “Just me. Guest speaker today.”

“Right.”

Silence stretched. She could feel heat creeping up her neck. Anthony leaned forward slightly, eyes twinkling. “That coffee good, at least?”