Tessa's pov
I got to the door of my class and walked in, sliding into my usual spot at the back row. Five minutes later, once everyone had settled, our biology class began. That was when a random guy walked in and took the seat beside me.
At first, I didn't think much of it… until I caught a whiff of a familiar scent.
Wait… was that Adrian? No, it couldn't be. You've got to be kidding me. Don't look, Tess. Just don't.
But of course, I couldn't help myself. I disobeyed my inner voice and sneaked a glance. And there he was. Adrian Hardin. That scent, that aura—I'd know it anywhere.
My breath caught when I looked up and saw him smiling at me. I smiled back shyly, my stomach instantly erupting with butterflies.
"Hey," he said smoothly, leaning a little closer. "You take biology too? I hope you don't mind me sitting here?" He looked at me expectantly, waiting for an answer, while I just stared at him like a fool, wondering why he had to look this ridiculously handsome in real life.
"Hey… hello? You there?" he asked, waving his hand playfully in front of my face.
"Ye…yeah, I'm here," I stammered, utterly embarrassed as I quickly looked away.
"You sure you're okay? You seemed like you drifted off."
"No. Yes. I mean—yeah, I'm fine," I said quickly, fumbling over my words.
"Okay, if you say so," he replied with a little smile just before the teacher walked in. That smile alone could have knocked me over.
Oh, chims, I thought, groaning inside. Why does it have to be now, when my besties aren't here? Every single time I'm around him, I turn into a gibberish machine.
I grabbed my notebook, pretending to focus on it though my eyes weren't even seeing the words. My phone buzzed with a message, but before I could check, our biology teacher, Mr. Brute, strode in. I quickly shoved my phone away. He had zero tolerance for distractions.
"Good morning, students," he began in his usual strict tone. "I hope you all had a wonderful vacation and plenty of rest. As you know, you're now in your third year of senior high. That means college preparation. You need to buckle down, focus, and give your best so you can get into prestigious colleges. To help with this, you'll all be working on a year-long project, to be submitted at the end of the school year."
The class instantly filled with groans and murmurs.
"Quiet, please," Mr. Brute said firmly, raising a hand. "Before you complain, let me explain. Each of you will be paired with a partner. Together, you'll be given a topic and a practical assignment to research. I expect creativity, discipline, and mind-blowing ideas."
Of course, the murmurs only grew louder.
"Silence!" he snapped. "Let's get started."
He went on explaining the project in detail for what felt like forever—forty minutes, to be exact—before finally moving to the part we had all been dreading: pairing us up. My stomach twisted as I whispered silent prayers. Please not the jocks. Please not the mini-Doras. And dear heavens, not Ronnie. Piper and Molly were safe since they were in the arts department, but Ronnie was here in sciences with me. I really couldn't imagine being stuck with her all year.
Finally, Mr. Brute began calling out names.
"Mr. Weed with Ms. Jort. Mr. Cole with Mr. Burke. Mr. James with Ms. Collin. Ms. Jude with Ms. Hank..... And lastly… Mr. Hardin with Ms. Monroe."
The moment I heard my name paired with his, I froze. My heart stopped for a second, then raced so fast I thought everyone could hear it. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
Not that I hated the pairing. Don't get me wrong—I absolutely loved it. Spending more time with Adrian? Yes, please. But that also meant opening the door to more drama from the Doras. Especially Piper. And it wasn't that I was scared of her—I just hated drama and attention. If this kept going, I wasn't sure how long I could keep my temper in check.
When Mr. Brute finished his announcements, the bell rang, and he dismissed the class. I let out a long sigh. Two periods down, and it already felt like I'd lived through a whole 24-hour day.
I was stuffing my books into my bag when Mr. Brute called me and Adrian over.
"Ms. Monroe, Mr. Hardin," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I paired you together because you were two of my brightest students last year. I hope to see that continue, and I'll be looking forward to reading your research."
I nodded politely and smiled. Once he left, I went back to packing my things, ready to meet Charlotte and Avery at Splats and Burgers for lunch. Then I remembered the text from earlier. Pulling out my phone, I saw it was from Charlotte:
Babe, I'm totally bored and hungry. The teacher just kept talking and talking. She'd added a crying emoji and a yawning face for emphasis.
I chuckled to myself and didn't bother replying since I was going to see her soon anyway. But when I looked up, I realized something that made my heart skip. The classroom was empty. Everyone was gone—except me and Adrian.
My throat went dry. Oh no. If anyone sees us alone together here, the rumors will spread like wildfire. The last thing I wanted in my final year was more attention. I was about to rush out when his voice stopped me.
"Hey, Tess."
I turned, nerves on edge. "Hiii," I said, giving a weird little wave and an awkward smile.
He raised a brow. "Oookay…" He chuckled under his breath.
Then he grew serious. "Since we're partners now, I think it makes sense for us to exchange contacts. You know, so we can plan when and where to work on the project." He flashed me another smile.
My brain almost short-circuited. Did Adrian just ask for my number? Somebody pinch me. If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up.
"Uh, y-yeah. My contact. Right. Here you go," I said quickly, handing it over. I tried to act casual, but inside, I was screaming.
"Thanks." He saved it, snapped his fingers like he always did, and headed for the door.
I was still staring after him when my phone buzzed. A new message popped up from an unknown number.
Hey, it's Hardin.
I glanced up, and there he was, looking back at me knowingly. "That's my number. See you around, Tess." With that, he walked out.
I stood there frozen, staring at the message until Avery suddenly tapped me on the shoulder, nearly making me jump.
"Hey, Tess, are you okay? We were waiting for you, but it seems like you were daydreaming by the door of your classroom," she said, giving me a look.
"What?" I blinked, still dazed.
"You've been standing here for like two minutes," Charlotte added. "We were calling you, but you didn't even notice us."
I stared at them like I'd lost my mind, then slowly handed them my phone so they could see the message.
Charlotte's eyes widened. "OMG. Looks like someone's going to have a prom date. Way to go, girl!" She gave me the look, full of teasing and excitement.
"It's not a big deal," I said quickly, trying to hide my flustered face. "It doesn't change anything." Even though, deep down, I knew it did.
"Alright, let's just go get lunch," I said, tugging them both along, desperate to change the subject.
Luckily, they let it go—for now.