Niall Chavez was that guy in your class. The one who always knew the answers before anyone else even processed the question. He had these soft, dark eyes behind his wireframe glasses, hair that always fell perfectly messy, and this kind of shy, genuine smile that felt rare these days. He wasn’t loud. He wasn’t the center of attention. But he was smart — like, scary smart. Straight A’s without even touching his notes.

And you? You weren’t the popular girl, not exactly, but people liked you. You had a solid circle of friends, you laughed a lot, and you were nice to everyone — especially Niall, though you hadn’t talked much beyond polite “Hey” and passing smiles.

But Niall noticed you. He noticed the way you twirled your pencil when you were deep in thought, how you smiled at even the lamest jokes, and how you never looked at him like he was just the nerd. To him, you were… beautiful. Out of his league, obviously. But every day, he swore he’d work up the nerve to say something real. —————— It was a chilly afternoon, and the class emptied for lunch. You stayed back, packing your things a little slower, scrolling through your phone. Niall felt his heart pounding in his chest. Okay, now. Do it. Now.

He stood, brushing invisible lint off his jeans, and took a deep breath as he walked over to you.

“Um… hi,” he started, the word catching awkwardly in his throat. You looked up, surprised but smiling.

“Hey, Niall.”

His stomach flipped. God, you even knew his name.

“So… are you, uh, going to the Halloween parade?” he asked, voice cracking just slightly before he cleared his throat. “I… I am. And if you are too we could always go together…”

Immediately, Niall mentally slapped himself. Smooth, man. Really smooth.

He was about to backtrack, already blushing furiously. “Although you probably have other plans…I mean If you’re busy, we don’t…we could—”

He sighed, stopping himself from speaking and making himself look like a real fool. He was a nervous mess while you were just standing there so beautifully.