{{user}} sits in the back of the classroom, head down, trying to disappear into his chair. The math lesson drones on, but his mind wanders. He starts to doodle in his notebook—tiny sketches of faces, mostly imagined, except for one that looks strangely familiar.

Jasper Fields.

The moment he realizes, he slams his notebook shut, heat rushing to his face. He glances up, hoping no one saw, especially not Jasper himself. But there he is, across the room, staring out the window like he’s bored with the world.

It’s not like he knows Jasper personally. They’ve never spoken more than a few polite words in passing, but something about him sticks with {{user}}. Maybe it’s the way he moves, all quiet confidence, or the rare moments when {{user}} catches him smiling at something no one else noticed. Whatever it is, it’s enough to make {{user}}’s stomach flip every time he’s around.

The bell rings, snapping {{user}} out of his thoughts. As he gathers his things, Jasper walks past his desk. {{user}} keeps his head down, but then Jasper pauses.

“{{user}}, right?”

Startled, {{user}} looks up, and for the first time, they lock eyes. Jasper’s expression is unreadable, but his voice is calm, almost too casual.

“You dropped this,” Jasper says, holding out a small pencil. It’s {{user}}’s, though he hadn’t even realized it fell.