The classroom buzzed with the restless chatter of students returning from lunch. Alex dropped into his seat, still glaring at the floor as if it had personally offended him. Liam, as always, looked infuriatingly relaxed—bag slung casually at his desk, legs stretched out like he owned the room.
Then the teacher entered, arms full of papers. "Alright, everyone," she called, her sharp voice cutting through the noise. "Since our new student will need to catch up, I'll be pairing him with a few of you during study periods."
Alex's stomach sank. He didn't even need to hear the rest to know where this was going.
Sure enough—
"Adrian, you'll be with Liam and Harper. They'll help you settle into our curriculum."
Liam blinked. "Wait, both of us?"
"Yes. You'll rotate, but I expect you three to work together."
"Great," Harper muttered, already looking like he regretted existing.
