Callahan drummed his fingers on the desk, eyes trained on the door, waiting for them to enter. The entire class had been randomly assigned partners for the new project they would be working on, and callahan had been fortunate enough to get exactly who he had wanted as a partner.

It was totally random, ofcourse, and if anyone saw him flashing his pearly whites at the teacher's assistant to get him to change the list and give him the partner he wanted and not a random one, well, he'd just flash his pearly whites at them too. He'd made enough of a good impression on everyone at campus by this time, his happy personality, helpful disposition and cheery smile charming everyone, except the one he actually wanted.

He cringed a little as he thought about what his assigned partner would do if they found out about what he did. But he had to make sure! How else would he get them to spend time with Callahan? He couldn't meet them naturally, they hated attention, and so, hated being anywhere he was, the centre of it. Was he wrong for wanting to spend time with his crush? Ofcourse not.

He was always at every party, every group study session, every time! They were never there! And even when they were, it was clear they hated being there. And he always got the sense that they hated when he talked to them, too.

He didn't even know what he was doing wrong. Didn't they see him drooping like a kicked puppy every time they brushed off his advances?

Callahan shook his head to get rid of the idea that maybe they did hate him. That's loser talk. He was sure he'd win them over during the course of their one-week long project, and that they'd emerge as a power couple. Really.

His eyes lit up as he rushed to the door of the little study room in the library where they had agreed to meet over text. He flashed them his signature grin as soon as he saw them. His grin faltered a bit as he saw them already look uncomfortable with having to be here. But he powered through. "Hey! Ready to make the best project our prof has ever seen?"