The next few days were supposed to be ordinary. That was what Rhaine told herself as she shoved her notebooks into her bag one Wednesday morning. No more overthinking. No more zoning out because of Sam. She'd focus on her friends, focus on her grades, focus on anything else.
But "ordinary" had a way of slipping through her fingers.
---
By mid-morning, the air in the hallway was thick with chatter. Students leaned against lockers, some trading snacks, others hurriedly reviewing for the next quiz. Rhaine walked beside Maya and Eli, half-listening to their conversation about a trending video online.
"…and then the cat just slapped the guy's sandwich out of his hands!" Eli was laughing so hard his shoulders shook.
Maya grinned, nudging Rhaine. "You'd laugh too if you weren't in your serious student mode all the time."
"I'm not in serious student mode," Rhaine said, even though she was clutching her folder like it contained the secret to life.
"You are." Maya smirked. "When was the last time you laughed at something dumb?"
"Probably when you two weren't being annoying," Rhaine shot back, but her mouth twitched just slightly.
They turned the corner, and that was when she saw her.
Sam was at the far end of the hall, sitting cross-legged on the floor with two other classmates. They had a stack of colored papers and markers scattered around them apparently working on some kind of poster. Her ponytail was loose today, strands of hair framing her face, and there was a streak of blue ink on her cheek. She was laughing, head tilted back just enough that sunlight from the nearby window caught in her eyes.
It was the kind of laugh that made people turn their heads without even realizing.
And Rhaine did turn her head. She would've kept looking too if Maya hadn't stepped into her line of vision, eyebrows raised in a silent I see you.
Rhaine's face heated instantly. "What?"
"Nothing," Maya said, a little too innocently.
Eli glanced between them. "Oh, it's definitely not nothing."
Rhaine rolled her eyes and walked faster. "Drop it."
---
Later that afternoon, their teacher announced that the class would be divided into mixed groups for a small project due next week. Rhaine's stomach sank as names were called Maya in one group, Eli in another. She was half-distracted when she finally heard hers…
"…Rhaine, Sam, Jiro, and Clarisse."
She froze.
By the time she looked up, Sam was already smiling in her direction, patting the empty seat beside her.
"Looks like we're groupmates," Sam said as Rhaine sat down. "This'll be fun."
Rhaine forced a small smile back. "Yeah."
They started discussing the project a simple presentation about a historical event but Sam had a way of making even dry topics sound easy to talk about. Every so often, their knees brushed under the desk, and each time, Rhaine shifted back an inch, trying to keep her breathing steady.
The worst part wasn't the contact. It was the fact that she didn't want to move away.
---
When the bell rang, they agreed to meet at the library the next day to work on the outline. Rhaine tried to ignore the fact that she was already thinking about what she'd wear.
---
The library the next afternoon was quiet, the low hum of the air conditioner filling the spaces between turning pages. Sam arrived a little late, sliding into the seat beside Rhaine with an apologetic grin.
"Sorry...had to finish something for science class."
"It's fine," Rhaine said, flipping open her notebook. "We can start with the"
"You've got ink on your hand," Sam interrupted, reaching out before Rhaine could react. Her fingers brushed lightly over Rhaine's skin as she pointed to the smudge near her thumb.
"It's nothing," Rhaine said quickly, pulling her hand back. Her pulse was louder than the air conditioner now.
Sam tilted her head, a teasing smile on her lips. "You're jumpy today."
"I'm not."
"Sure you're not."
They got back to work, but every time Sam leaned closer to point at a passage in the book, Rhaine could smell the faint citrus scent of her shampoo. It was distracting in a way that made her both restless and… almost guilty.
Stop it, she told herself. This is just group work. Nothing more.
---
By the time they packed up, the sun was low, painting the sky outside in streaks of orange and pink. They walked together toward the gate, their shadows long on the pavement.
"You're quiet today," Sam said as they neared the corner.
"I'm just tired."
Sam studied her for a moment, then smiled softly. "Well… I'm glad we're in the same group."
Rhaine didn't answer right away. Her chest was tight again, the way it always seemed to be around Sam. "Yeah," she said finally, her voice low. "Me too."
---
That night, Rhaine lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was dark except for the faint glow of her phone on the desk. She could hear the rain starting outside, soft against the windows.
Her mind replayed the small moments from the day: Sam's smile when she arrived at the library, the way their knees kept brushing, the warmth of her fingers against her skin.
She'd told herself again and again that this wasn't what it looked like. That she wasn't interested. That she couldn't be interested.
But the cracks in that wall she'd built years ago were widening, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep patching them.
And the scariest part?
A small, quiet part of her wasn't sure she wanted to anymore.