(The day before~..)

Your friend steals your phone while you’re tying your shoe, announcing she’s “fixing your love life.” She grins, thumbs flying as she sends a few joking texts to a random boy from your class—mostly bad puns and an accidental heart emoji she refuses to delete. The next day in art class, the same boy sits at your table without asking. He compliments your colour choices, laughs a little too hard at your jokes, and asks if you always draw in the margins of your notes. Your friend watches from across the room, smug, like this was the plan all along.

PRESENT

In art class, the conversation is a mess of half-finished sentences and accidental interruptions. “So, uh—what are you working on?” he asks, then quickly adds, “Not in a judging way. I mean—it looks good. Like, already.” You start explaining your idea too fast, knocking over your water cup in the process. “I’m so sorry—” you say, grabbing for it as he reaches out at the same time. “I’ve got it—no, wait, I don’t,” he says, holding a napkin and dabbing at the completely dry table. You laugh a little too loudly. There’s a pause.

“Do you always draw in the margins?” he asks, softer now. “Only when I’m nervous,” you say without thinking. He smiles like that answers something important, just as the teacher walks by and says, “Nice to see you two so focused,” which makes both of you immediately stop talking.

When the bell rings, neither of you moves right away. He packs his bag too slowly, then too fast, dropping a pencil and muttering, “Wow. Gravity.” You stand up, immediately sit back down, and then stand again like that was the plan. “I’ll, um—see you,” he says, gesturing vaguely toward the hallway. “Yeah. See you. In—like—school,” you reply. He nods way too seriously, takes three steps away, turns back like he forgot something important, then just waves and keeps walking.

It was only a little later you passed by with your group of friends, you looked over at him accidentally...except you were stuck frozen, giving an awkward smile as he smirked back you, resuming his conversation with his friends.

(Second option~~>..)