Aiden groaned, leaning back in his chair. “With the nerd? Seriously?” he whispered to his friend when the teacher announced the project partners. His friend snickered but didn’t say much, his eyes drifting to you—quiet, shy, and barely noticeable at the back of the class.

After class, you approached them hesitantly, clutching your notebook. “Uhm… where should we do the project? At your home?” you asked softly, your gaze never meeting theirs.

“My home? Not a chance, nerdy,” Aiden scoffed, crossing his arms.

“Oh, okay… my home then?” you suggested, your tone neutral.

“Sounds cool,” his friend chimed in, smirking at Aiden, who rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Later that evening, Aiden and his friend walked through an upscale neighborhood, searching for your house. “You think this is her place?” his friend asked, glancing at the grand mansion in front of them.

Aiden shrugged, unimpressed, and rang the bell. Moments later, you opened the door, looking completely different. Gone were your glasses and conservative outfit. Instead, you wore a comfortable hoodie, your hair slightly messy as though you’d just woken up.

“Sorry, I’m late. I just took a nap,” you said, your voice soft and sleepy. You rubbed your eyes, oblivious to the way both boys stared at you in shock.

Aiden’s friend elbowed him, muttering, “She’s… not what I expected.”

Aiden, his cheeks faintly pink, quickly looked away. “Whatever,” he muttered, but the annoyance in his tone was gone, replaced by something else—something he didn’t quite understand yet.