After a lot of practice and night studies, the next day was finally the day of the literature presentation. I had being nervous since the previous day, just anxious about what drama the next day would unfold.
The presentation ended with a round of applause that felt louder than I expected.
For a second, I just stood there, fingers still curled around my paper, eyes blinking as if I needed to confirm the sound was real. Ryan exhaled beside me, a quiet breath of relief, and when I glanced at him, he was smiling. Not the careless grin he wore when he cracked jokes, but something steadier. Proud.
I turned slightly, and that was when my eyes met Ethan's.
He wasn't smiling yet. He was watching me the way he had through most of the presentation — focused, attentive, like every word mattered. When our eyes met, something shifted. His lips curved, slow and deliberate, and my chest did that annoying, sudden thing where it tightened for no logical reason.
We stepped away from the front as the teacher nodded approvingly and began shuffling papers. She probably felt satisfied with our presentation, because she had being frowning ever since other groups came out to present theirs. My legs felt oddly light as I returned to my seat, and it took conscious effort to sit normally instead of fidgeting.
"That went well," Ryan whispered, leaning closer.
"Well?" I muttered. "That went perfectly."
Ethan let out a quiet chuckle. "You're right," he said. "You handled the analysis part better than I expected."
I turned to him. "Better than you expected?"
He tilted his head, unbothered. "Yeah. You didn't just summarize. You explained why it mattered. Most people miss that."
The words hit harder than I anticipated.
Not because they were loud or dramatic, but because they were specific. Because he hadn't said good job or nice presentation. He had noticed.
Heat crept up my neck before I could stop it. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly very aware of my hands, my posture, the fact that he was still looking at me.
"Thanks," I said, softer than I meant to.
Ryan smirked. "See? I told you she carried us."
I rolled my eyes. "You did your part."
Ethan glanced between us. "You both did. But she kept it grounded."
My cheeks burned. There was no hiding it now. I looked away, pretending to reorganize my papers even though they were already neat.
"That was really good."
The voice came from behind us.
I turned, and there she was.
Maya.
Zach and Chris came along too. They were just steps behind her, arms loosely folded, expression open but unreadable. Maya's eyes flicked briefly to Ethan before returning to me, and I caught the faintest pause like she was taking inventory.
"I mean it," Maya continued. "The structure was clean. Easy to follow."
"Thank you," I said. "We worked on it a lot."
"I could tell," she replied, smiling. "You're Tasha, right?"
I nodded.
"I'm sure you know my name, I always forget yours sometimes though." She gestured. "That's Zach and Chris."
Zach grinned, already relaxed. Chris offered a shy smile and a small wave.
"Nice to meet you again," I said.
Maya's gaze shifted briefly to Ethan again, just long enough to notice, then back to me. "You're really confident up there."
The compliment felt… layered. Not sharp. Not hostile. Just observant.
"I wasn't at first," I admitted. "It took practice."
She nodded, as if storing that information. "It showed."
Ethan cleared his throat. "Have we met somewhere?"
Maya's lips curved slightly. "Yeah."
"Thought so," he said. "You look familiar."
Something flickered across her face — interest, maybe. Or satisfaction.
"Well," she said, stepping back slightly, "I won't keep you. Just wanted to say it was impressive."
As she turned to leave, Zach leaned toward Chris and said, not quietly enough, "Bro, she's cute right? Been telling Ethan."
I froze.
Chris elbowed him, mumbling something under his breath, and Maya shot Zach a look that was half-warning, half-amused before walking off.
Ryan burst out laughing the second they were gone.
"Oh my God," he said. "Did that just happen?"
I stared at my desk. "I'm pretending it didn't."
Ethan was smiling. I didn't look at him, but I felt it. Felt the way the air shifted, warmer, charged.
"You okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. Just… surprised."
He hesitated, then said, "You handled that well too."
That did it.
I finally looked up, and our eyes met again. Something unspoken lingered there, thin and electric, and for a brief second, it felt like the rest of the classroom faded.
"Hey," Ryan said suddenly, standing. "I'm heading out. Gym."
Ethan grabbed his bag. "I was going to the library."
My heart jumped.
"The library?" I repeated before I could stop myself.
He glanced at me, curious. "Yeah. You?"
"I… was," I said, then cursed myself internally for sounding unsure.
"I can walk with you," he offered, casual but intentional.
Every sensible thought in my head scattered.
"Okay," I said.
The hallway buzzed with students as we stepped outside. Conversations overlapped, lockers slammed, laughter echoed and yet, walking beside him, everything felt strangely focused.
I became aware of stupid details. The rhythm of his steps. The way he adjusted the strap of his bag. The fact that people looked — not openly, but enough for me to notice.
He noticed too.
"You're tense," he said.
"I'm not," I replied quickly.
He raised an eyebrow. "You are."
I exhaled. "I'm just… not used to this."
"To what?"
I hesitated. "To people paying attention."
His gaze softened. "They're paying attention because you're interesting."
My breath caught.
I laughed lightly, more to steady myself than anything else. "That's a bold claim."
He shrugged. "It's true."
We reached the library steps too soon. He held the door open, and as I passed, my shoulder brushed his arm. The contact was brief, accidental, and my pulse spiked like it meant something.
Inside, the quiet settled around us.
"I'll see you later," he said.
"Yeah," I replied. "Thanks for walking with me."
He smiled. Not wide. Not careless. Just enough.
"Anytime, Tasha."
I watched him leave before I realized I was doing it.
Later, I found Lara and Jade near the lockers.
"I have a gist," I announced.
Their heads snapped up in unison.
Jade crossed her arms. "You have exactly thirty seconds."
Lara leaned closer. "Start talking."
I told them everything. The compliment, Maya, the library walk.
Lara squealed.
Jade blinked slowly. "Ethan. Walked you. To the library."
"Yes."
"And complimented you."
"Yes."
"And you blushed."
"I did not—"
"You did," Lara said smugly.
I covered my face. "I hate both of you."
"You love us," Jade corrected. "And you like him."
I didn't answer. I didn't need to.
That evening, after the gym and dinner, I sat at my desk, my literature notebook open in front of me. The page was blank.
I picked up my pen.
And without overthinking it, I wrote.
Not for school. Not for marks.
Just because my heart felt too full to stay quiet.