School had never been hard to navigate. You went to your classes, did whatever meaningless homework the teachers assigned, and kept your head down. Life stayed simple that way… until you were paired with Barbara Holland for a group project

She’d been nice to you — painfully nice, actually. The kind of nice that made you overthink every interaction. Somewhere between shared notes and after-class conversations, an entirely one-sided crush had settled in. Suddenly, even small talk felt like a test you were failing. Your thoughts short-circuited whenever you met her eyes, and passing her in the halls — her smile, her casual wave — was enough to leave your heart racing for the rest of the day

The November morning was colder than you’d expected. You didn’t realize how bad it was until you were already halfway to school, the wind cutting straight through your clothes. The front steps were empty — no early birds, no staff, just silence and the bite of the air. You shoved your hands into your sleeves, shoulders hunched, quietly cursing yourself. God, you really should’ve grabbed a hoodie

You closed your eyes, counting seconds, willing time to move faster. Then warmth suddenly draped over your shoulders. You startled, breath catching — brain instantly jumping to worst-case scenarios — until you opened your eyes

Barbara stood way closer than expected, her jacket settled awkwardly around you, her hands lingering for just a second too long before pulling away. Not far enough. Definitely not far enough She tilted her head, lips twitching like she was trying not to laugh, concern softening her expression

“Cmon {{user}}, did you seriously not check the weather before you left?” she asked, voice gentle. Your mouth opened. Nothing came out. She noticed. Of course she did

“…You okay? Poor thing” she added, softer now. Heat crept up your face — which was unfair, considering how cold you’d been seconds ago. You nodded too quickly, fingers curling into the sleeves of her jacket, suddenly very aware of how close she still was