The classroom was shrouded in a gloomy silence, broken only by the faint scratch of pencils against paper and the occasional frustrated sigh. The advanced science class had never been a favorite for most students, and today's assignment was particularly unforgiving. A series of complex problems sprawled across the chalkboard, each one more intricate than the last. Many students seemed lost, their brows furrowed as they struggled to make sense of the equations, while a select few worked with an almost mechanical ease, their pens flying across the page.
In the back corner, Daniel and Diana sat side-by-side, each bent over their notebooks. Unlike most of the class, they had been moving steadily through the problems. Their eyes darted between the chalkboard and their notes, occasionally pausing to think before diving back into their work. Yet, even their momentum began to wane as the minutes dragged on, the weight of each question wearing down their initial determination.
Eventually, Diana let out a long, quiet sigh and put her head down on the desk, her cheek pressing softly against her arm. Her dark hair spilled across the table, and for a moment, Daniel found himself just watching her, the way her eyelashes brushed her cheeks as she closed her eyes. The dreary atmosphere of the class felt a little lighter, a touch less tedious, with her beside him.
The shrill ring of the bell shattered the quiet tension in the room. Around them, students immediately began packing up, some stretching their arms and rubbing their necks as if they'd just survived a grueling ordeal. Diana slowly lifted her head, blinking sleepily, as if waking from a short nap. She caught Daniel's gaze and offered a small, sheepish smile.
Daniel gave her a slight nod, an unspoken agreement to escape the classroom as quickly as possible. They gathered their things in silence, both moving with the shared relief of finally being free. Without a word, they fell into step beside each other, their footsteps blending in sync as they made their way through the crowded hallway.
Next up was history class.
Daniel took his usual seat by the window, pulling out his pencil case and setting it on the desk. Diana sat beside him, already pulling out a small ziplock bag that held her pen and other stationary.
As Daniel opened his case, he grabbed his favorite pen and began absentmindedly twirling it around his fingers. Diana, watching him for a moment, smiled and fished out her own pen, mimicking the way he spun it in his hand.
Diana's gaze drifted ahead to Ava, the tall, broad-shouldered girl seated in front of them. Ava's muscular back and defined shoulders caught her attention. Diana found herself unconsciously squeezing her own shoulders, making a quick comparison. She lost.
Her eyes flicked to Daniel's shoulders next, realizing that they seemed bigger than hers too—maybe even bigger than Ava's. She frowned slightly but then noticed Daniel's attention seemed to be focused somewhere else. Curious, she followed his gaze.
Across the room, a petite girl with long hair that reached her lower back sat quietly. Her shoulders barely peeked over the top of her chair. Diana recognized her as Luna, a quiet girl who rarely spoke during class.
Before Diana could wonder why Daniel was looking in that direction, Mr. Novak's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Alright, quiet down, class!" Mr. Novak called out, stepping in front of the whiteboard. He was an older man with graying hair and glasses that perched on the edge of his nose. He scanned the room, his gaze landing on one of the louder students.
"Alexander," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Can you remind the class what we covered last time?"
The room went quiet, a few students glancing at Alexander, expecting a sarcastic remark or some excuse. But Alexander straightened up, responding with surprising confidence.
"Yes, sir," he said with a charismatic smile. "We discussed the causes of the French Revolution, especially the economic crisis and the rise of the Third Estate."
Mr. Novak blinked, clearly taken aback, but then nodded approvingly. "Good answer. You've been paying attention." His expression softened as he turned back to the class.
"Today, you'll be working in groups of three," Mr. Novak announced, flipping through a list. "I'll assign the groups." He started calling out names, listing students into their respective teams.
Diana glanced over at Daniel, silently hoping they'd be grouped together, but her name wasn't called with his.
"Let's see... Diana, Ava, and Luna. You three will work together," Mr. Novak said, marking down their names. Diana's heart sank a little when she realized she and Daniel weren't in the same group, but she had to admit, she was also curious about Luna. Maybe she'd figure out why Daniel had been looking at her earlier.
She stood up, gathering her things, and made her way over to where Ava and Luna were already seated.
"Alright, let's get started," Ava said with a sigh, pulling out her notebook. Luna, who sat quietly beside her, already had her pen in hand, her expression neutral and unreadable.
The three of them worked in silence for a while, each focused on their part of the project. Diana tried to focus, her pen moving across the paper as she worked through the questions.
After a few moments, Luna glanced over at Ava's paper, her expression suddenly sharpening. "That's wrong," she said bluntly, scanning Ava's page. Without hesitation, she grabbed Diana's paper, her eyes scanning it as well before she turned it around and held it up for Ava to see.
"This is how you do it," Luna said matter-of-factly, pointing to Diana's neatly written answers.
Ava sighed, clearly not thrilled to be corrected, but she muttered, "Alright, I'll fix it," and began erasing her mistake.
Luna handed Diana her paper back without a word, and the three of them continued working in silence.
For a few more minutes, the only sounds were the scratching of pens on paper. Diana focused on her work, determined to finish her part of the assignment, but then… she felt it.
A strange burning sensation on the side of her face.
She looked up, confused, and found Luna staring directly at her, her sharp emerald-green eyes unblinking. Diana blinked, feeling a bit unsettled. Why is she staring at me?
Meanwhile, in Luna's mind, she was completely lost in thought. She hadn't paid much attention to Diana before, but now that they were working together, she couldn't help but notice how fluffy Diana's hair looked—almost like it would be soft to the touch. Luna's eyes drifted to Diana's face, realizing that some of her features reminded her of Daniel's. Her curiosity deepened as she imagined different outfits for Diana, mentally visualizing what might suit her best.
Diana shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trying to focus on her work despite the weight of Luna's stare.
Ava, oblivious to Luna's wandering thoughts, finally looked up from her paper. She noticed the odd interaction and frowned. Reaching over, she lightly tapped Luna on the head. "Hey, stop staring at people like a creep," she said.
Luna blinked, turning to Ava with a slightly pouty expression. "You hit me," she said flatly.
"Yeah, well, you're being weird," Ava replied, though her tone was teasing. "Focus on the work."
Luna huffed but turned her attention back to her paper, leaving Diana feeling slightly relieved, though still a little bewildered by the interaction.
They finished their work faster than most of the other groups. Ava leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms. "Glad we finally finished," she muttered, glancing at Diana.
Luna glanced at Ava's paper, which was only half-complete, with scribbles scattered across it, but didn't say anything. Diana smiled softly, feeling a sense of quiet amusement as she looked between them. Ava and Luna were an unusual pair, but they worked well together in their own way.
Diana was still curious about both of them. Luna, with her striking pinkish-yellow hair and intense demeanor, seemed interesting, and she couldn't help but wonder if that was why Daniel had been glancing at her earlier. Maybe she'd ask him later.
For now, at least, the project was done.
After finishing their work, the three girls gathered their papers and made their way to the front of the room. Mr. Novak took their assignment, his eyes scanning the pages for a moment. He nodded approvingly, quickly scribbling an 18/20 at the top.
"Good work," he said, looking up at them with a rare hint of satisfaction before moving on to the next group.
Ava glanced at the score in surprise, her eyebrows raised. She looked over at Diana, clearly impressed. "You're… not half bad at this, you know?" she said with a grin.
Diana blinked, caught off guard, but managed a quiet "Thanks," feeling a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Around them, other students were still hunched over their assignments. Some worked with intense concentration, pens flying over paper, while others had given up altogether, their voices a low murmur as they chatted with each other. The quiet hum of the classroom seemed to stretch, marking the time as it passed.
After a while, Ava's initial excitement over their good grade had started to fade. She leaned back in her seat, stretching her arms above her head with a sigh, a look of boredom settling over her face. "I'd rather sit through gym class than this," she muttered, almost to herself.
Luna, listening in, tilted her head slightly. "Maybe that's why you're always behind," she commented with a teasing smile.
Ava rolled her eyes, letting out a playful scoff. "Not everybody is as smart as you, Luna." She turned back to Diana, her expression relaxing into a smirk. "Seriously, Luna here's basically a walking encyclopedia. Knows every answer before Mr. Novak even finishes the question."
Luna looked down, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "I just… pay attention," she mumbled.
Diana stayed silent, watching them, observing the dynamic between the two girls—Luna's calm, almost blunt attitude, and Ava's casual teasing. There was something easy and unguarded about their interaction that Diana found herself drawn to.
After a few seconds, Luna's gaze turned back to Diana with an unexpected sharpness. She leaned in, her eyes sparking with interest. "Do you like fashion?"
Diana blinked, surprised by the question. "Uh… I don't know much about it," she admitted, feeling a bit out of her depth.
Luna's eyes lit up, and she leaned in, a spark of excitement showing through her usual calm. "I could help you. I mean… if you want. I think you'd look good in some different styles."
Diana felt her cheeks warm slightly, the thought making her heart flutter. Maybe Luna could help me dress more like a normal girl… She hesitated, then nodded shyly. "Yeah… that might be nice."
Ava snorted, shaking her head in amusement. "Watch out, Diana. Luna's going to turn you into her personal makeover project."
Luna shot Ava a look, though there was no real irritation in her eyes. "At least I have interests outside of sports."
Ava just rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure. Just don't get carried away." She paused, then added with a smirk, "And try not to stare at her like a creep this time, alright?"
Luna gave an unbothered shrug, though she muttered, "I wasn't staring…"
Diana chuckled softly, feeling an unexpected warmth blooming in her chest. She hadn't expected to be included in their banter, but something about it felt… comfortable.
As the end of class neared, Ava stretched her arms over her head, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Glad we're done with that," she said, glancing at Diana. She paused, then asked, "Hey, you wanna eat lunch with us today?"
Diana looked at her, surprised. She glanced over at Daniel, who was wrapping up with his group on the other side of the room. "I'd like to… if Daniel can come too. Is that okay?"
Luna nodded immediately. "Sure."
Ava shrugged, glancing sideways. "I don't mind."
As Diana headed over to Daniel, a small smile played on her lips. When she reached him, she leaned in and said, "Ava and Luna invited us to eat lunch with them."
Daniel blinked in surprise, caught off guard. He stayed silent for a moment, processing.
Diana tilted her head, her smile fading slightly. "Do you… not want to?"
He snapped out of his thoughts, quickly shaking his head. "No, it's not that. I just… didn't expect it."
She smiled again, reassured. "Me neither. But it could be fun."
He nodded, still a little thrown but warming to the idea. "Yeah… okay."