HIS POV

"Would anyone like to volunteer to do the speech?" the teacher asks, only to get silence as a response.

He lets the silence grow before continuing. "I need a pair of students," he urges.

But no one in the room is willing, if our lack of an answer didn't give it away.

"No volunteers? I guess I can pick myself." The threat makes me roll my eyes.

The classroom was so quiet, especially with the nerves of my classmates amped up from his words.

Everyone shared anxious glances with one another, not wanting to be the one picked.

"In that cas-"

"Sorry, I'm late," someone interrupts. Well, not just someone, {{user}}.

She barrels through the door, chest heaving, and I know she must have been in a rush to get here.

It seems she didn't have much time to get ready as her hair is unusually messy.

I hide my smile behind my palm seeing her current state. It's rather endearing.

"Perfect timing, actually. You'll be one of the students presenting a speech during our orientation for incoming students," the teacher declares.

"I'm what?" she asks. The utter confusion on her sweet face is so, so lovely.

"You heard me," he replies, unkindly.

"But I wouldn't know what to sa-" she starts.

The teacher is the one to interrupt now. "You have a week to think on it. And you'll be working with..." he pauses for dramatic effect as he scans the room.

Before I even think about how much I'll regret it, my hand shoots up. "I'll do it."

He's taken aback. "Oh, uh, okay. {{user}} and Skyler it is." He moves on to today's lesson, but I couldn't focus with the drumming of my own heartbeat in my ears.

I internally chide myself for acting so rashly. Just because {{user}} is working on it as well doesn't mean-

Our eyes meet across the room and I'm immediately lost in her hesitant smile.

I am so gone for this girl.