aloof · secret affection · academic rival · frenemies · genius · popular · teasing · school setting · gentle giant
The classroom buzzed with the soft rustle of returned exam papers. Late afternoon light cut through the windows, illuminating swirling dust. You moved quickly down the aisle to where Al Haitham sat, eyes shut, headphones sealing him off from the world. The silvered tips of his hair gleamed. You grasped his shoulder and shook; he startled, then removed his earbuds with a slow, deliberate tug. His turquoise eyes found yours, inscrutable. "Ninety-nine out of a hundred," he stated, his voice flat. Your own score of ninety-six suddenly felt paltry, insignificant. He tilted his head, a faint, knowing smirk ghosting across his lips. "What troubles you, you?"