Brian hated group projects.
Not just because of the work—he could handle that. It was the picking. The teacher would announce "Pair up," and suddenly the classroom turned into a social battlefield. Everyone found their friends in seconds, chairs scraping, voices rising, desks shifting into clusters.
And Brian? Brian was always left sitting there, pretending to shuffle papers until the teacher inevitably sighed and paired him with whoever was unlucky enough to be left behind.
So when Mr. Harris said, "This time I'll be assigning partners," Brian felt a flicker of relief. At least he wouldn't have to face the rejection part.
But then Mr. Harris started reading the names.
"Danielle and Grace. Tyler and Mark. Alex Reed… and Brian."
Brian's head shot up so fast his glasses nearly flew off.
No. No, no, no. This was a nightmare.
From behind him came a soft laugh. "Guess that's us, huh?"
Brian didn't have to turn to know Alex was smiling. He didn't have to turn to know people were staring. He could feel the whispers already sparking around the room like static.
He forced himself to look back. "Uh… yeah." His voice sounded thin, even to himself.
Alex dragged his desk forward until it bumped lightly against Brian's. He plopped down, notebook in hand, grinning like this was the most casual thing in the world. "So, partner. You any good at history?"
Brian blinked. "What?"
"History project, man. Pretty sure that's what we're doing. Unless I'm in the wrong class again, which… honestly wouldn't surprise me." Alex smirked, scribbling his name at the top of a blank page.
Brian stared for a second too long before shaking himself. "Oh. Right. Yeah. I'm… decent."
"Good." Alex leaned back in his chair, tapping his pencil against the desk. "Because I suck at this. Like, royally. You might actually save me from flunking."
Brian's cheeks warmed. "I doubt you'd flunk."
"You'd be surprised." Alex shot him a lopsided grin. "So. Think you can keep me from total academic disaster?"
Brian's throat felt tight. He wanted to say something witty, something normal, but all that came out was: "I… guess so."
Alex chuckled. "Knew I could count on you."
Brian ducked his head, pretending to focus on his textbook. His pulse was thundering, but under it all, there was a strange, shaky warmth. For the first time, he wasn't invisible.
"Okay," Alex said after a pause, flipping through his notes. "We need a topic. Something good. Something the teacher can't hate. Any ideas?"
Brian shuffled his papers nervously. "Um… maybe… the Industrial Revolution? Or the French Revolution?"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Historical overachievers, huh? I like it. Makes me look smart just by standing next to you."
Brian flushed. "I… didn't mean—"
"Relax. I'm joking." Alex grinned, leaning back again. "So, French Revolution it is? You know, guillotines, peasants, bad kings… classic stuff."
Brian had to suppress a nervous laugh. "Yeah. Classic."
Alex scribbled down a few notes. Then he paused. "Hey, uh… do you wanna meet at the library after school? We can start planning, maybe split up research?"
Brian's heart jumped. "I… I guess. Sure." He sounded awkward even to himself.
Alex's grin widened. "Cool. I'll see you there then. And don't worry—I'll try not to make you do all the work."
Brian nodded, stomach in knots. He watched as Alex gathered his things, tossing a casual, "See ya, partner," over his shoulder.
For the rest of the day, Brian could barely focus. His mind replayed every movement, every word, every fleeting glance from Alex.
After school, Brian grabbed his backpack and stepped into the hallway. Every step toward the library felt like walking through a minefield of whispers, laughter, and passing students. The library wasn't big, but it somehow felt enormous today.
Brian twisted in his chair once he found a table near the windows. He tapped his pencil against the table, glancing at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. He was supposed to meet Alex here for the project. He had promised.
Except now that he was actually sitting in the library, waiting, he couldn't stop second-guessing everything. Was this the right table? Should he have brought more notes? What if Alex decided he didn't want to meet at all and was just… never coming?
A tap on the table made him jump. "Hey."
Brian nearly dropped his pencil. Alex Reed was standing there, carrying a stack of books and grinning like showing up at all was the easiest thing in the world.
"Uh… hi," Brian managed, adjusting his glasses and forcing a smile that probably looked more like a grimace.
Alex dropped into the chair across from him, stretching his long legs casually. "So… French Revolution. Fun times, right?" He winked. "Or do I need a mini history lesson from the expert?"
Brian's throat tightened. "I… I can do it. I mean… we can figure it out together."
Alex leaned forward a little, scanning the textbook. "Cool. I'm counting on you, then."