Tom's POV
"It was fine. You?" I said, trying to sound bored, calm.
"Fine too." Then that teasing smile tugged at her lips. "How's the bear?"
Oh, for fuck's sake.
"It's fine," I said flatly. "Chilling on the couch in the corner of my room."
She grinned, clearly enjoying herself. "Have you named it yet?"
I turned to her with a deadpan look. "No. It's a teddy bear — why the hell would I name it?"
"Oh, come on, Tom," she said, her giggle light and melodic. "Everyone knows you're supposed to name it. And FYI, it's not an it, it's a she."
I turned my head toward her, raising a brow. "How the hell do you even know it's a she?" I asked, unable to hide my smirk.
She leaned closer, her eyes bright with amusement. "Because she looks like a she. Obviously. And you better treat her right, she came from me, you know."
Her laugh echoed softly, and for a second, the rest of the class faded into background noise — even Mrs. Green, who was setting up her lesson at the front of the room.
"You know what?" I said finally, a smirk tugging at my lips. "You name her instead."
Imogen's eyes lit up like it was a challenge. "Then her name is Mrs. Snuggles," she declared proudly, giggling as she said it.
I groaned dramatically. "You cannot be serious."
"Oh, I'm very serious," she replied, trying to stifle another laugh as she leaned back in her seat, her smile bright and genuine.
And even though I tried to roll my eyes, I couldn't help it — a small grin broke through. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Luke watching us, his expression unreadable. But I didn't care.
For that brief moment, it was just Imogen and me — teasing, laughing, and pretending the world outside that classroom didn't exist.
"Oh, come on, Imogen — you cannot seriously expect me to call it— I mean, her— Mrs. Snuggles," I said, slumping into my chair as we settled into our seats at the back of the class. "What's my mom gonna think if she hears me say that out loud?"
Imogen crossed her arms, feigning a scowl, but the corner of her lips twitched like she was fighting a smile. "I don't care," she said firmly, her tone playful but commanding. "The bear is Mrs. Snuggles, and that's final."
I threw my hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine! Don't get all pouty on me," I said with a grin. "I'll take good care of Mrs. Snuggles."
Her serious expression melted into a triumphant smile. "Good. That's all I ask."
I couldn't help chuckling. "You act like I adopted a pet, not a stuffed bear."
"Hey, Mrs. Snuggles has feelings," she whispered, leaning closer, her tone conspiratorial. "You better remember that."
I just shook my head, laughing quietly to myself. My gaze drifted toward Luke, who was still standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, scanning for a seat. For a split second, our eyes met.
"No hard feelings, right?" I thought to myself.
Luke hesitated before sitting down at the table beside ours, close enough to overhear but not enough to be part of the conversation. His expression was neutral — too neutral — like he was trying not to care.
Mrs. Green cleared her throat then, setting her laptop on the desk with a thud, instantly pulling everyone's attention to the front. "Alright, class," she began, her voice firm but calm. "Today we're focusing on simultaneous equations."
The room went still except for the faint scratching of pencils and the soft hum of the projector. I glanced sideways at Imogen, who was already scribbling notes, her brows furrowed in concentration. Luke sat just ahead of us, his pencil tapping rhythmically against the desk.
And me? I was half-listening, half-lost in thought.
"Argh, I hate math," she groaned beside me, slumping in her seat like she'd just been through a war. Her pencil dropped to the desk with a soft clack, and she rested her head in her hands, the very picture of dramatic defeat.
I glanced at her, pretending to be focused on my notebook, but my thoughts were miles away. Even when she complained, she somehow made it look… beautiful. The way her brows furrowed, the little pout on her lips—god, she was mesmerizing.