The biology teacher's voice droned on, but the final announcement caught everyone's attention. "For the semester project on ecosystem preservation, I've assigned partners. Check the list on the board."
Lucifer sighed, leaning back in his chair. He hated group work. He preferred the silence of his own thoughts. But as he scanned the list, his eyes stopped at his name.
Lucifer & Nancy.
He looked toward the front of the room. Nancy was already looking back at him, her expression a mix of hesitation and curiosity. She gathered her books and walked toward his desk, the small blue marble hanging from a silver chain around her neck—a detail Lucifer hadn't noticed before.
"I guess we're stuck together," Nancy said, pulling up a chair. Her voice was soft, but it carried a weight that made Lucifer look up from his notebook.
"I do most of the work alone. Just give me your part, and I'll finish it," Lucifer replied coldly. He wasn't trying to be mean; he just didn't know how to be close to anyone anymore.
Nancy frowned, her eyes flashing with a spark of defiance. "I don't let others do my work, Lucifer. We meet at the library after school. 4:00 PM. Don't be late."
She walked away before he could argue. Lucifer watched her go, the name Nancy tasting familiar on his tongue, like a song he had forgotten the lyrics to. In the library later that afternoon, as they sat surrounded by the scent of old paper, Nancy reached for a heavy textbook at the same time he did.
Their hands collided. For a heartbeat, neither moved. The air between them felt charged, heavy with a history neither could yet name.