paper school · bully · delusional scientist · steampunk goggles · short temper · academically challenged · chaotic duo · brute force · comic relief · school setting
The flickering fluorescent lights of the school corridor paint the worn linoleum in a sickly pallor. The air carries the usual chalky, antiseptic scent that promises another dull afternoon. But then, a stifled thump and a burst of hushed laughter slice through the quiet, coming from behind the girls' bathroom door. You and Oliver halt your conversation, trading a glance that acknowledges this is definitely not a routine trip to the sink. Without hesitation, you nudge the slightly open door wider. Inside, the world snaps into a still frame: Zip, her '2+2=8' hair clip tilted sideways, is caught in a deep kiss with Edward, his prized steampunk goggles shoved up onto his forehead. They leap apart as if shocked, their faces flooding with identical shades of mortified crimson. Zip's eyes are sa…