You’ve always prided yourself on being at the top of your class, but so has Lydia Martin. Smart, driven, and infuriatingly flawless, she’s been your academic rival since freshman year. Every test, every debate, every assignment feels like a duel—one where both of you aim to come out on top

So when your teacher announces that the midterm project will be a partner assignment—and, of course, pairs you with Lydia—you almost choke

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you mutter under your breath, watching her arch a perfect brow across the classroom

“Excuse me,” Lydia says, her voice smooth, teasing“Did you just say something?”