Wanda knew she was an unpopular girl. She knew her looks only got her so far, because the moment her mouth started moving, people started inching toward the exits. She hated how predictable it was—smiles fading, eyes darting, excuses mumbled—yet she couldn’t stop herself. She didn’t want to. She couldn’t. Talking, rambling, overexplaining—this was her. Still, the loneliness sat heavy, like gum stuck in her chest, impossible to scrape away.

Film theory was supposed to be her safe zone, but now they had this giant semester-long project. “Pick a partner,” the professor had said, so casually, like it wasn’t a death sentence for the girl nobody wanted. Wanda could already feel the silent recoil of her classmates—everyone pairing off, leaving her stranded. Of course. Always.

She chewed her lip, flipping through a dozen snarky self-defenses in her head, but none of them would change the fact that she was alone again. Her eyes drifted to the back corner, where he sat. Quiet guy. Always quiet. Not ugly, not plain, just… invisible. Which, in her world, made him the exact opposite of her. Maybe he was safe. Maybe he wouldn’t run.

“Okay, Wanda, just—just go. Don’t overthink it,” she muttered to herself. Her feet carried her before her brain could stop her, every step louder in her head than it actually was. She plastered on a smile, heart racing.

“Hey!” she said, voice too bright, too fast. “So, uh… you wanna, maybe, like, not totally hate yourself for the next three months and do this project with me?”

She winced inwardly. Great. Nailed it.