Her brown shoes stepped carefully across the aisle, her long black hair bouncing slightly behind her.
She was smiling politely, and Tamara swallowed hard.
She could hear her heartbeat in her ears as Sasha stopped in front of her desk and said gently, "Hi, I guess we're partners."
Tamara forced a smile, but there was another story in her eyes.
Sasha stood there, waiting, but this wasn't what Tamara had expected. Forcing another smile, she thought maybe this could work in her favor.
If she was close enough to Sasha she could find what she needed; that fake proof she was looking for.
Tamara slowly pulled her bag aside and said, "You can sit here."
Sasha sat down, opening her notebook.
The rest of the class was already moving chairs and laughing quietly in their new groups.
But there was a little silence at Sasha and Tamara's desk.
"Welcome to my desk Sasha," Tamara started, pretending to be normal.
"Let's see what this assignment is all about," Sasha replied and she turned to look at Mr. Davis who was looking through his papers.
He clapped his hands twice, loud enough to make a few students jump.
"Alright, settle down," he said, stepping in front of the board. "Now listen carefully."
The room grew silent.
"We've been learning about sonnets…especially how poets like Shakespeare use them to express love, jealousy, and time. For your assignment, I want each pair to write their own sonnet."
A few students murmured. Some looked confused.
"You will work together…two people, one sonnet. It must have fourteen lines, proper rhyme, and a clear theme. Choose something real. It can be love, betrayal, dreams…whatever you want."
He paused, and then added, "But it must feel real. I want emotion. Not empty words."
Tommy leaned forward slightly, suddenly interested.
"You'll present your sonnets in class next Monday morning," Mr. Davis said. "I want written copies and live recitals."
There were quiet groans and whispers.
Mr. Davis ignored them.
"You have the whole weekend to work on it. Use your time wisely."
With that, he closed his book and gave one final look at the class.
"I'll be in my office if anyone needs help. Class dismissed."
He turned and walked out, his brown coat swinging slightly behind him.
The class was noisy again. Chairs squeaked as students stood, some yawning, others stretching and pairs slowly began finding each other.
Tamara sat still in her desk. She pretended to be arranging her pens, but her eyes flicked across the classroom to where Tommy was sitting.
He was smiling now; the way he used to smile at her, but not at her anymore.
He was leaning toward Kelly, nodding as they talked.
"This might be fun," Kelly was saying. "What if ours is about chasing dreams?"
Tommy laughed. "Or maybe a song that's actually a poem."
Tamara watched them for a moment, and she bit her lip.
Then she heard a soft voice next to her.
"Tamara?"
She blinked and turned. Sasha stared at her for a moment, her hands folded in front of her.
"Should we… start planning?" Sasha asked.
Tamara forced a smile.
"Sure," she said, trying to keep her voice normal.
Sasha turned a page in her notebook before speaking.
"We can divide the lines," Sasha said. "You write the first half. I'll take the second?"
Tamara gave a small nod. "Okay."
Sasha's lips curled into a polite smile. "Do you want it to be about love… or something else?"
Tamara looked down at her paper, pretending to think. Inside, her thoughts were burning, but she tried not to show it, not to let Sasha know how she feel.
"Maybe about change," she said slowly. "How people change… without warning."
Sasha tilted her head. "That's a good idea. It could be emotional."
Tamara smiled again, but not because of the topic, but because of what she was planning to do.
Sasha didn't pay much attention to her, and she was already scribbling a few lines.
Tamara watched her carefully; her smooth handwriting, and her calm face weren't a reason enough for Tommy to get destructed.
"Do you think," Tamara said carefully, "we should ask Mr. Davis to help us shape it better? Maybe today before prep?"
Sasha looked up. "Oh. Yeah, that could help."
Tamara leaned in, and her voice was soft now.
"I mean… you're great at poetry, but I'm not. If we both go, it won't look like I'm just struggling alone."
Sasha hesitated, before she continued.
"It's a good idea, but I don't think I'm brave enough to approach him."
Tamara's eyes lit up, it was close to what she had been hoping for Sasha to say.
"Don't worry, I will approach him and tell him about it. Let's hope he will agree to help us."
Sasha took out a tired breath before she replied.
"Of course, he will agree. It's what every teacher would do to help a student."
And with that they made an agreement, and Tamara's plan was just beginning to build.
Just as the last students were finishing up their group discussions, a bell rang loudly through the halls.
It was club time.
All across the school, students began packing their things, and there were a lot of noise as the sound of desks scraping and laughter was all in the air.
Some grabbed science kits and rushed off to the Science Club, others zipped up sketchbooks for Art Club, a few girls were already heading for the Fashion & Design Club. There was also Drama Club, Debate Club, Chess Club, Book Club, Tech Club, and of course…
The Music Club.
Tommy stood up and stuffed his songbook into his bag.
"Let's go," he said to Kelly.
Kelly smiled. "You done with the poem?"
"Almost," Tommy replied, swinging his bag over his shoulder. "Just need to add a better last line."
They stepped toward the door.
"You always need a better last line," Kelly teased.
Tommy laughed. "Well, it has to hit the heart."
Meanwhile, at the other side of the classroom, Tamara zipped her pencil pouch and stood.
She glanced at Sasha, who was folding her paper and slipping it into her file.
"I'm going to the music club," Tamara said, while pulling her bag up.
Sasha smiled gently. "Cool. I'm off to the science lab."
Tamara nodded. "Good luck with the chemicals."
Sasha chuckled softly. "Thanks. See you later?"
"Yeah," Tamara said, smiling sweetly.
Students began streaming out in every direction, their voices echoing down the corridors.
Tommy and Kelly walked through the hallway that was lined with club posters, and they passed several groups that were chatting and laughing.
They finally reached the old music room; the Music Club itself.
It smelled of polish, and instruments stood like statues around the room. There were guitars on stands, drums near the back, a row of music stands in the front, and a shiny new black upright Piano was sitting proudly near the windows.
A few students were already inside, tuning instruments and chatting in soft voices.
Tommy headed straight to the corner where he usually kept his acoustic guitar. Kelly walked beside him, already tapping out a beat with his fingers in the air.
The room felt alive, and just then, Tamara stepped in.
She paused in the doorway, her eyes sweeping the room like a camera lens. She spotted Tommy near the back, and he bent over his guitar case with Kelly beside him.
Her lips parted slightly, and she calmed herself as she walked toward them.
Tommy was checking the strings on his guitar when he saw her coming. His hands slowed down, but he didn't speak.
"Hey," Tamara said softly.
Tommy looked up.
"Hey," he said with a small nod, and nothing more.
Tamara smiled, gathering herself searching for words to start with.
"I just wanted to say… I'm sorry for what happened earlier," she said. "Mr. Davis was out of line. That wasn't fair."
Tommy blinked slowly, he shrugged, and looked down at his strings again.
Tamara hesitated before she continued. "And Kelly… it wasn't right that he made you stand either."
Kelly, still standing beside Tommy, smiled a little and shook his head.
"Nah, it's okay," he said. "I did speak when I wasn't supposed to. Mr. Davis was kinda right."
Tamara turned slightly to him. "Still. It was harsh."
Kelly gave a half smile. "Well… better than getting detention, right?"
Tamara gave a small laugh, but Tommy didn't laugh with them.
Before she could say anything more, a voice called out, "Tamara!"
She turned.
It was Zayne, her best friend from Fashion Club, but she always sneaked into Music Club whenever she could.
Zayne skipped over and grabbed Tamara's wrist excitedly. "Come see the new piano! You won't believe it!"
Tamara tried to speak, but Zayne was already pulling her across the room.
"Just a sec…" Tamara tried, but Zayne giggled and shook her head. "Nope! You'll thank me later!"
Tamara glanced back over her shoulder at Tommy one last time… but he was already tuning his guitar again.
Once Zayne and Tamara were out of earshot, Kelly leaned closer to Tommy.
"You're obsessed with her, man."
Tommy paused, looking out the window for a moment.
"I know," he said quietly. "I can't help it."
Kelly shook his head with a grin. "It's not even funny anymore. You've been writing love poems for a girl who probably doesn't even know your name."
Tommy laughed under his breath. "She does now."
"You write about Sasha more than you breathe."
Tommy smiled but didn't answer.
Kelly nudged him. "Why don't you just talk to her?"
Tommy shook his head. "She's not the type who wants someone like me around."
"Because you sing?"
"Because I'm not serious like her. She's... focused. Her dad's one of the top lawyers in the country. Me? I'm just the guy who writes songs in English class."
Kelly rolled his eyes. "You're underestimating yourself. You're more than you let people see. Besides, you haven't told anyone who your dad is either."
Tommy's smile faded. "Let's keep it that way."
Before Kelly could say more, the music room door swung open.
Alex Holland, the Music Club president, stepped in like he owned the place. He was tall, with an easy smile and he carried a notebook in hand. His earphones hung around his neck like a medal, and everyone in the room respected him; not just because he played piano like magic, but because he made every club session feel exciting.
He clapped his hands once, and it was loud enough for everyone to turn their heads and face him.
"Alright, guys! Let's get started!"
The room quickly came alive. A few students grabbed guitars. Others rushed to the drum set or keyboard. The vocalists moved to the front and started humming softly, warming their voices.
Tommy picked up his guitar again and sat on one of the stools closer to the right side of the room. His fingers were already tuning the strings. Kelly stayed beside him, tapping out a soft beat on his thighs.
Tommy was both a vocalist and a guitarist. Sometimes he led songs, and sometimes he just backed them up.
On the other side of the room, Tamara was still with Zayne near the piano.
Zayne was talking excitedly about the keys and the smooth texture, but Tamara was only half-listening. Her eyes kept sneaking glances at Tommy.
She saw how focused he was… how he tapped the strings and nodded gently with the music. Something about him in that moment made her heart ache, and it made her want to be seen and to be recognized in Tommy's world.
How can I get his attention? she thought.
Then Alex walked to the front of the room, holding a folded paper in his hand.
"I've written a fresh set of lyrics," he said, lifting the page. "No melody yet, just the words. We'll build it together."
He turned to the vocalists.
"Let's start with someone singing it through once. Anyone want to give it a shot?"
The vocalists shifted uncomfortably.
One girl squinted at the paper. "The rhythm is tricky."
A guy beside her added, "It's hard to tell what melody would fit."
They all looked at the lyrics like it was a puzzle.
That's when Tamara raised her hand.
Everyone in the room turned their heads; even Zayne looked at her, surprised.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Tamara?"
She nodded and smiled, walking toward the front.
There was a pause. A couple of students giggled softly.
"She doesn't even sing," someone whispered.
"Maybe she thinks it's karaoke night," another voice muttered.
Tommy looked up.
He was surprised too. He blinked and watched her walk slowly toward the small stage area.
He had never heard her sing, not even once. Not even when they used to hang out.
Tamara heard the giggles, but she kept her chin up. Her heart beat hard in her chest, but she refused to look nervous. She wasn't doing this for them; she was doing it for him.
Tommy was watching.
That was enough.
Alex handed her the paper. "You sure you want to try it?" he asked, not unkindly.
Tamara gave a small nod, she wondered if she had made the right decision. "Yeah," she said, trying to sound brave.
She looked at the lyrics.
Her eyes scanned the lines. They were about waiting for someone to notice you, about being seen even when no one was looking.
Her throat felt dry for a second, but she lifted her chin.
"I'll just feel it out," she said, and a few students exchanged doubtful looks.