The bell rang after lunch, pulling everyone back into the rhythm of classes. The hallway buzzed with lazy chatter, students dragging their feet, some clutching snacks or iced coffees as if they needed them to survive the afternoon stretch.
Rhaine walked beside Maya and Eli, clutching her books against her chest. She felt strangely drained even though the day wasn't over yet. The morning had already been a lot Sam's teasing, that moment of unexpected closeness, and her own confusing thoughts that she kept trying to shove away.
Why does it always have to be her? she thought bitterly. Out of all the people in this school, why does it always end up being Sam?
They slipped back into the classroom. The air felt heavy with the lingering warmth of the afternoon sun streaming through the windows. A few students already had their heads down, napping, while others were whispering jokes and laughing.
Rhaine dropped into her seat, Maya right beside her and Eli at the next desk over. She tried to settle in, opening her notebook and pretending to skim over notes from earlier. But her eyes kept flicking toward the door. She hated that she was waiting—no, not waiting, not caring—about when Sam would walk in.
And then, of course, Sam entered.
Tall, confident, her long dark hair brushing her shoulders as she strode in with that usual unbothered look. She adjusted her glasses casually, scanning the room, before sliding into her seat a few rows away. For the briefest second, her gaze caught Rhaine's, and there was a flicker—like recognition, or maybe mischief—before she looked away.
Rhaine snapped her notebook shut a little too hard.
Maya arched an eyebrow. "You okay?"
"Fine," Rhaine said quickly, maybe too quickly. "Totally fine."
Before Maya could press further, their teacher entered. "Alright, class, listen up. For today's session, we'll be doing another collaborative activity."
A groan rippled through the classroom.
Rhaine felt her jaw clench. Another one?
The teacher continued, "This time, I'll be assigning you into pairs. Each pair will analyze a short case study and present their conclusions at the end of the period."
Rhaine's grip on her pen tightened. She felt the words building in her chest, and before she could stop herself, her hand shot up.
"Excuse me, sir," she blurted out, her voice sharper than intended.
The teacher blinked. "Yes, Rhaine?"
"Why is it always pairing or grouping?" she demanded, the words tumbling out before she could reel them back in. "Can't we just do something individually for once? Not everyone wants to be forced into pairs every time."
The room went quiet. A few students snickered, others exchanged glances. Rhaine felt her cheeks flush hot.
The teacher adjusted his glasses, looking mildly amused. "Collaboration is part of your learning process. Life doesn't work in isolation, Rhaine. You'll understand that in time."
Rhaine slumped back in her seat, muttering under her breath. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."
From across the room, Sam's voice drifted in, calm and teasing. "What's wrong, Rhaine? Afraid of who you might get paired with?"
The class laughed softly.
Rhaine snapped her head toward Sam. "I'm not afraid of anything," she shot back, louder than she meant to.
Sam just tilted her head, a small smirk curving her lips. "Sure."
The teacher clapped his hands to regain control. "Enough chatter. Let me call out the pairs."
Rhaine's stomach twisted as names were read out. She kept telling herself, It won't be her. It won't be her.
But fate was cruel.
"…Rhaine and Sam."
Her head dropped onto her desk with a soft thud. "You've got to be kidding me," she groaned.
Maya leaned closer, whispering, "At least you won't be bored."
"Not helping," Rhaine hissed.
Eli grinned from the other side. "Honestly, you two make a funny pair."
Rhaine shot them both a glare that promised retribution later.
Sam rose from her seat with deliberate ease, crossing the room and sliding into the chair beside Rhaine. The air instantly felt heavier, charged with something Rhaine refused to name.
"Guess we're stuck together again," Sam said, her tone infuriatingly calm.
"Lucky me," Rhaine muttered, flipping open her notebook.
Sam leaned just close enough that her shoulder brushed Rhaine's. "Don't sound so thrilled."
Rhaine inched away, heart pounding. "I'm just here to finish the work, okay? Nothing else."
Sam chuckled under her breath. "Relax. I know you're serious about grades. I won't mess that up."
They skimmed the case study in silence, though "silence" wasn't the right word. Every time Sam moved, Rhaine noticed. Every time Sam's hand brushed the page or her voice dropped low while reading, Rhaine's chest tightened.
This isn't normal, she thought desperately. I'm not supposed to feel like this. She's just another classmate. Just another—
Her brain betrayed her, finishing the thought: another girl.
Rhaine bit the inside of her cheek. She hated how the realization kept creeping in, unwanted and undeniable. She wanted to shove it back into a locked box and pretend it didn't exist. She wasn't like that. She couldn't be like that.
Sam's voice broke into her spiral. "You're zoning out again."
Rhaine blinked. "I'm not!"
"You are," Sam said with a small laugh. "You've been staring at the same line for two minutes."
Rhaine snapped her notebook shut. "Can we just—just focus?"
Sam leaned back, studying her with an expression that was far too calm, far too knowing. "You're interesting when you get defensive, you know that?"
Rhaine's chest burned. "Stop saying weird things."
"Not weird," Sam corrected softly. "Just honest."
Rhaine shot her a glare but couldn't hold it for long. She looked away, her face heating. Why does she do this? Why can't she just be normal?
Maya, watching from a few desks away, caught Eli's eye and whispered, "They're going to explode one of these days."
Eli smirked. "And we'll have front-row seats."
Meanwhile, Rhaine forced herself back into the assignment. She scribbled notes furiously, trying to focus on anything but the girl sitting too close. Every word from Sam felt like a tug at the walls she had built around herself, and it terrified her.
When it came time to present, they managed to deliver smoothly—Rhaine handling the bulk of the explanation, Sam adding concise points with quiet confidence. The teacher nodded approvingly.
But even as they sat back down, Rhaine's hands trembled slightly. Not from nerves about the assignment, but from everything she was trying so hard to bury.
As the class ended, she shoved her notebook into her bag and muttered, "Finally."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "You act like being paired with me is the worst thing in the world."
"It's not—it's just—" Rhaine faltered, searching for words that wouldn't betray her. "It's annoying. That's all."
Sam's smile was unreadable, her voice calm. "If you say so."
Rhaine turned away quickly, heart pounding.
Inside, though, her denial screamed louder than ever.