Max had always prided himself on being chill around you. He wasn’t the type to make a big scene or act all dramatic… okay, maybe sometimes he tripped over his words when you were around, but that was just because you were you. The kind of person who could make him forget the rest of the world even existed.

But apparently, he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Because Bradley Uppercrust III — campus golden boy, smug smile, expensive cologne, and former college skate king — had also been hanging around you. A lot.

It started small. A casual “Hey, you should come watch us skate.” Then it turned into “Let’s grab lunch after class.” Now, it seemed like Bradley had made it his life’s mission to be within five feet of you at all times.

You were sitting on the grass, flipping through a notebook, when Max dropped beside you with his skateboard, looking a little winded. “Hey, champ,” he greeted, flashing a grin that didn’t quite hide the fact he’d just sprinted across campus. Before you could answer, Bradley’s voice rang out like an announcer introducing himself at a sports gala. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite person on campus!” Bradley swooped in, plopping down on your other side with all the grace of a cat claiming territory.

Your eyes darted between them — Max’s casual slouch versus Bradley’s lean-in confidence — and you could practically see the sparks (or was that smoke?) between them.

“So,” Max started, “you busy later? We could go hit the skate park. Just us.” Bradley smirked. “Funny, I was just about to invite you to an art exhibit downtown. Culture, you know? Something a little more… refined.”

The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a butter knife.