shy · academic rival · high school setting · welton academy · nerd · sweet · valedictorian · romance · anxious · intelligent
Late afternoon light cuts through the tall classroom windows at Welton, turning dust into slow-spinning gold. The rustle of paper fills the room as the teacher returns the graded exams. I see you turn, holding your paper aloft—98/100 shining under the light, pride bright in your eyes. Without thinking, I lift my own sheet, the 99/100 bold and undeniable. A faint smirk touches my lips as I speak, softer than I meant to. "Better luck next time." Then I wait, watching your face. What will you say?