Ava Carter tucked her sketchbook under her arm as she stepped into the art classroom, her sneakers squeaking faintly against the polished linoleum floor. The familiar smell of paint and charcoal greeted her, grounding her in a space that felt like hers. Art class was her haven, the one place where she didn't feel out of place at Evergreen High. But today, something felt off.

"Assigned partners?" she muttered to herself, catching sight of the handwritten note on the whiteboard at the front of the room. Her stomach sank. Partner work meant talking—something she avoided as much as possible. 

The room was already filling with chatter as students trickled in, each claiming a seat. Ava chose her usual spot in the far corner, near the window where sunlight streamed in and painted soft patterns on the floor. She opened her sketchbook, her pencil hovering over a half-finished drawing of a willow tree. But her focus was shot. She kept glancing at the board, dreading the moment the teacher would read out the pairings.

The door swung open, and the energy in the room shifted. Ava glanced up just in time to see Ethan Blake stroll in. 

Ethan Blake. 

He wasn't just popular, he was untouchable. Captain of the soccer team, effortlessly charismatic, and the kind of guy who turned heads wherever he went. Ava couldn't understand it. Sure, he was good-looking, with his tousled dark hair and easy grin, but there had to be more to life than scoring goals and charming teachers. Didn't there?

"Hey, Mr. Anderson," Ethan said, giving the teacher a casual wave before dropping into a seat in the center of the room. A group of boys immediately gravitated toward him, laughing at something he said. Ava rolled her eyes and bent over her sketchbook, hoping the announcement would come soon so they could all get on with it.

"All right, everyone, settle down," Mr. Anderson called, clapping his hands for attention. The chatter died down, though a few whispers lingered. "As you've probably noticed, we're starting a new project. For this one, you'll be working in pairs. I've already assigned the groups, so listen up."

Ava's stomach twisted as Mr. Anderson began reading names. She barely registered the first few pairings, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios. She could handle working with Chloe, her best friend, but anyone else? A nightmare. 

"Carter and Blake."

The words hit her like a brick. Ava's head shot up, her eyes locking onto Mr. Anderson in disbelief. Surely, she'd misheard.

Ethan turned in his seat, his gaze sweeping the room until it landed on her. He grinned, and for a moment, Ava felt like a deer caught in headlights. 

"You're Ava, right?" he asked, his voice carrying easily across the room.

She nodded, her throat too tight to speak. 

"Cool. Guess we're partners," he said, flashing another one of those effortless smiles before turning back around. Ava sank into her seat, her cheeks burning. 

This was going to be a disaster. 

The bell rang, signaling the end of class, but Ava stayed behind, hoping to talk to Mr. Anderson. Maybe there was a way out of this. Partnering her with Ethan Blake had to be some kind of cruel joke. 

"You okay, Ava?" Mr. Anderson asked when she approached his desk. 

"Um, about the project," she began, clutching her sketchbook tighter. "Do we have to stick with the assigned partners?" 

Mr. Anderson frowned, his pen pausing mid-signature on a stack of papers. "Is there a problem?" 

"No, it's just…" She trailed off, unsure how to explain without sounding petty. "I usually work alone." 

"That's exactly why I paired you with Ethan," Mr. Anderson said, smiling gently. "You're incredibly talented, Ava, but art is about collaboration, too. I think you'll both learn a lot from each other." 

Ava wanted to argue, but the finality in his tone made it clear the discussion was over. She sighed, muttered a quick "thanks," and left the room.

Ethan was waiting for her outside the classroom. 

"Hey, partner," he said, falling into step beside her. Ava glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, unsure how to respond. She wasn't used to people like Ethan paying attention to her. 

"So," he continued, unfazed by her silence, "do you want to meet up after school to brainstorm? I've got soccer practice, but I can skip if you're free." 

Ava blinked. "You'd skip practice?" 

"Sure. This project's important, right?" 

His casual sincerity caught her off guard. She'd expected him to blow her off, not offer to rearrange his schedule. 

"I'm free tomorrow," she said finally. 

"Tomorrow works." He grinned again, and Ava couldn't help but notice how easily it lit up his face. "Where should we meet?" 

"The library" 

"Perfect. See you at four." 

Before she could respond, he gave her a quick wave and disappeared down the hall. Ava stared after him, her thoughts a chaotic swirl of confusion and reluctance. She had no idea how this partnership would play out, but one thing was certain: working with Ethan Blake was going to change everything.

The next day, Ava arrived at the library early, hoping to stake out a quiet corner where they wouldn't attract attention. She'd just spread out her supplies when Ethan showed up, his soccer bag slung over one shoulder. 

"Hey," he said, dropping into the seat across from her. "You weren't kidding about being prepared." 

Ava shrugged, pulling her sketchbook closer. "I like to plan ahead." 

Ethan pulled out a notebook and a pencil, spinning it idly between his fingers. "So, what's the plan? Mr. Anderson said the theme is 'perspective,' right?" 

"Yeah." Ava hesitated, unsure how much to share. She'd already sketched out a few ideas, but she wasn't sure if Ethan would take them seriously. 

"I was thinking," she began cautiously, "we could do something with contrasting viewpoints. Like, seeing the same scene from two different perspectives." 

Ethan nodded slowly. "That's… actually a really good idea." 

"You sound surprised." 

He laughed. "Not surprised. Just impressed." 

Ava's cheeks flushed, and she ducked her head to hide her smile. 

"What kind of scene?" he asked, leaning forward. 

"Maybe something simple, like a park or a street corner. We could show how two people interpret it differently based on their experiences." 

"I like it," Ethan said, scribbling a quick note in his notebook. "Do you want to sketch out some concepts together?" 

Ava hesitated. Collaboration wasn't her strong suit, but the way Ethan looked at her genuinely interested made her want to try.

"Okay," she said, pushing her sketchbook toward him. "Let's do it." 

For the next hour, they worked side by side, bouncing ideas off each other and refining their vision. Ava was surprised by how much he contributed. He wasn't just a pretty face he had thoughtful insights and wasn't afraid to admit when he didn't understand something. 

By the time they finished, Ava felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this partnership wouldn't be so bad after all.

As they packed up their things, Ethan glanced at her, his expression uncharacteristically serious. 

"You know," he said, "I think we're going to make a good team." 

Ava met his gaze, startled by the warmth in his voice. For the first time, she allowed herself to believe he might be right. 

"Maybe," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips. 

As they left the library, Ava couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted. Ethan Blake wasn't what she'd expected and that terrified her more than she cared to admit.