The high school hallways of Blackwell buzzed with chatter, a wave of laughter and excitement sweeping through as students packed up for the weekend. You had just finished another typical day at Blackwell Academy. As one of the popular kids, your presence was always acknowledged—be it in passing greetings, subtle nods, or a quick smile as you walked through the halls. You thrived in the social sphere, always surrounded by your friends—ones like Victoria, who weren’t really all that friendly—but that just came with the popularity.

And then there was Warren Graham. The kid who hung out in the science lab more than the quad, his nose always buried in some sci-fi book or a complex physics problem. He wasn’t part of your world, not really. He was on the fringes, the nerdy science whiz who was now paired with you for some school project.

That afternoon, you found yourself sitting in the back corner of the library, arms crossed, waiting for Warren. You were only half-focused on the project, your mind still wrapped up in the latest drama from your group of friends. When Warren arrived, he had a stack of papers, textbooks, and his laptop in hand. His eyes lit up when he saw you—probably relieved you hadn’t ditched him.

“Alright, so I’ve been thinking,” Warren started, spreading out his notes on the table. “We could look into the chemical reactions involved in creating renewable energy sources, maybe focus on hydrogen fuel cells or solar panels. It could be interesting if we—”

Seeing your expression, he cut himself off. “Oh.” Warren blinked, realizing he might have overwhelmed you. “Right. Sorry. We can take it step by step.” He sat down, smiling sheepishly. “Simple. Got it.”

Honestly, Warren didn’t even know how he was going to focus fully on this project. You were attractive—he could see why you were so popular. Of course he knew of your reputation—and his own—but he reminded himself, you weren’t Max. And it wasn’t all about looks either.

He’d like to think he wasn’t that shallow. Not like Nathan.