Rhaine slumped into her chair, dropping her bag with a thud. The classroom was buzzing with chatter, the sound of scraping chairs, and the rustle of papers being passed forward. Another day, another barrage of "fun" activities courtesy of their ever-enthusiastic teachers.
Her pencil tapped against her notebook, the rhythm more irritated than impatient. "Why… is there always a group activity? Or worse pairing?" she muttered to herself.
Maya, seated beside her, snorted. "You just hate it because you don't get to pick your partner."
"No," Rhaine said flatly. "I hate it because somehow, the universe conspires to pair me with the exact person who makes my life… unnecessarily complicated."
As if on cue, the teacher clapped her hands. "Alright, class! For this project, you'll be working in pairs!"
Rhaine let her head fall forward onto her desk. "Of course," she groaned, the sound muffled by her arms.
"Let me guess," Maya whispered with a smirk. "You're hoping it's not Sam?"
"Obviously," Rhaine said. "If I have to spend another week stuck with her, I might actually lose my sanity."
"Funny," Maya replied, "because from where I'm standing, it looks like you already lost it a while ago."
Before Rhaine could shoot back, the teacher began calling out names. One by one, students found their partners, the classroom filling with excited chatter.
Then came the inevitable.
"Rhaine and… Sam."
Rhaine's head shot up. "What?" The word came out louder than she intended, earning a few glances from nearby classmates. She sank back in her chair, muttering under her breath, "This is getting suspicious. I swear she's rigging these pairings."
Sam, on the other hand, looked annoyingly pleased as she sauntered over. "Well, looks like we're stuck together again," she said with a grin that Rhaine found entirely too smug.
Rhaine crossed her arms. "You say that like you planned it."
Sam tilted her head. "Maybe I did."
Rhaine narrowed her eyes. "You can't bribe the teacher."
"I didn't say I bribed her." Sam's grin widened. "I just have… influence."
Rhaine rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. "Oh, please. Your 'influence' is just you being annoyingly charming to everyone."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Sam replied easily, pulling a chair beside her. "Now, let's get started."
—
They ended up in the library, their table piled with reference books and printouts. Sam leaned over the materials, jotting notes with casual focus, while Rhaine kept her gaze fixed firmly on her own notebook.
Unfortunately, Sam had a tendency to lean close. Too close. Rhaine could feel the warmth radiating from her, the faint scent of her shampoo something clean and floral drifting over every time she moved.
It was distracting. Irritatingly distracting.
She cleared her throat. "You know, you could… scoot over a bit."
Sam glanced up, feigning innocence. "Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"No," Rhaine said quickly too quickly. "You're just… in my personal space."
Sam smiled faintly, leaning back but not moving her chair. "Got it. Personal space. I'll try to respect that."
Try. Not will.
Rhaine scribbled down another note, her handwriting just a little too sharp. This was ridiculous. She wasn't supposed to feel this tense around another girl. She wasn't supposed to notice the way Sam's eyes softened when she was focused, or how her smile lingered like it was meant just for her.
Her thoughts betrayed her, whispering things she didn't want to hear. She's just friendly. This is just how she is with everyone.
And yet… Rhaine knew Sam wasn't like this with everyone.
"Hey," Sam said suddenly, breaking her thoughts. "Why do you hate pairing so much?"
Rhaine froze for a second before answering. "Because I like working alone. I don't have to… coordinate or adjust to someone else's pace."
Sam studied her quietly. "Or maybe," she said softly, "you're scared of getting too used to someone."
Rhaine's pencil stilled. "That's… not it."
"You sure?" Sam's tone was gentle, but it hit harder than she expected.
Rhaine forced a laugh. "You're reading too much into it. I just… don't like depending on other people."
Sam smiled again, but this time there was something knowing in her gaze. "Alright. I'll take your word for it."
—
Hours passed, their work almost done. The easy rhythm of flipping pages and scribbling notes lulled Rhaine into a false sense of calm until their hands brushed while reaching for the same paper.
Rhaine jerked her hand back like she'd been shocked. "Sorry."
Sam chuckled quietly. "You always act like I bite."
Rhaine tried to look unfazed. "Well, do you?"
Sam smirked. "Only if you ask nicely."
Rhaine's cheeks warmed instantly. "That's You're impossible."
And just like that, her carefully built wall of denial wavered again. She told herself it was just harmless teasing. That Sam would say the same thing to anyone.
But deep down, she knew she was lying to herself.
Because the truth that she liked it wasn't something she was ready to face.
---
The library was starting to feel stuffy, so when Sam suggested grabbing a drink at the café across the street, Rhaine reluctantly agreed mostly because she needed caffeine to survive the rest of the day.
They ordered their drinks iced coffee for Rhaine, hot chocolate for Sam and found a small corner table near the window. The late afternoon sun spilled in, casting a warm glow on everything, which somehow made Sam's presence even harder to ignore.
Sam stirred her drink lazily. "So… do you really believe the teachers are randomly pairing us?"
"Yes," Rhaine said instantly.
Sam's lips twitched. "You don't sound convinced."
"Fine," Rhaine admitted grudgingly. "Maybe it's not random. But that doesn't mean I like it."
Sam leaned forward on her elbows. "And why exactly don't you like it?"
Rhaine met her gaze, refusing to look away. "Because… it's distracting."
A slow smile spread across Sam's face. "Distracting, huh? Should I be flattered?"
"No," Rhaine said sharply. "You should be… less you."
Sam laughed, the sound warm and unguarded. "Sorry, can't help it. Being 'me' is a full-time job."
Rhaine rolled her eyes but sipped her coffee to hide the small smile threatening to form. This was dangerous. Moments like this where Sam's teasing felt light and harmless, where the conversation flowed too easily were the kind that chipped away at her defenses without her noticing.
And she hated that.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching people pass by outside. Rhaine's thoughts drifted again, uninvited. She noticed the way the sunlight caught the strands of Sam's hair, turning them into gold, the way her eyes seemed to hold a secret amusement even when she wasn't smiling.
Stop it, she scolded herself. You're just tired. And she's just… nice-looking. That's all. Nothing else.
But her pulse betrayed her.
When they finished their drinks, Sam offered to walk her home. Rhaine hesitated but ultimately agreed it wasn't far, and refusing would only make it obvious she was avoiding something.
The streets were quieter now, the hum of traffic fading as they passed rows of small shops and apartment buildings. Their footsteps echoed softly on the pavement.
"You know," Sam said casually, "you're a lot easier to work with than you think."
Rhaine frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," Sam said, glancing at her, "you try so hard to keep people at a distance, but when you let your guard down, you're actually… pretty great."
The words hit harder than they should have. Rhaine felt heat rising in her face and quickly looked away. "You have a weird way of complimenting people."
"It's not weird if it's true."
Rhaine shook her head, muttering under her breath, "You really don't know when to stop, do you?"
Sam smiled. "Nope."
When they reached the street before her building, they paused. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them felt heavier, charged with something unspoken.
"See you tomorrow, partner," Sam said finally, her voice soft but teasing.
"Don't call me that," Rhaine replied automatically, though her tone lacked conviction.
As she watched Sam walk away, Rhaine let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
Maya's voice echoed in her head from earlier: You're hoping it's not Sam?
Rhaine wanted to deny it again, to convince herself that she didn't care who her partner was. But deep down, she knew the truth she refused to say out loud Sam wasn't the problem.
Sam was the reason.