After lunch break ended, the cafeteria emptied in loud waves of conversation.
Students spilled into the hallways pretending everything was normal again, but the energy had shifted too much for that. Everyone had seen it. The tension. The near fight. James stepping in. Michael not backing down.
At Silvergrove, things like that spread fast.
"Did you see Michael's face?"
"No, James was definitely trying to start something."
"I swear Macintyre just came back and already owns the school again."
Emily heard every whisper as she walked out of the cafeteria beside the others, and each one made the knot in her stomach tighten more.
Ahead of her, Michael walked quietly with his hands in his pockets, already separating himself from the group without saying a word.
That somehow felt worse than anger.
Sam noticed it too.
"…He's doing the silent thing," she muttered.
Cameron sighed. "Which means he's pissed."
Liliana spoke. "James knew exactly what he was doing."
"Obviously," Sam scoffed. "That idiot feeds off reactions."
Emily stayed quiet behind them, her fingers tightening.
She kept looking toward Michael.
He didn't look back once.
The guilt sat heavy in her chest now.
If I wasn't there…
Maybe none of that would've happened.
Maybe James wouldn't have stepped in.
Maybe Michael wouldn't have gotten dragged into it.
A group of students passed by them.
One girl whispered loudly enough for Emily to hear.
"Still, James was kind of scary."
Her friend laughed quietly.
"Scary? Please. He was hot."
"Michael looked ready to kill him though."
"Yeah, but James didn't even care."
Emily looked down immediately.
Every whisper made her feel worse somehow.
Ahead, Cameron shook his head.
"I still don't get why James even stepped in," he muttered. "Michael wasn't talking to him."
Liliana nodded. "Exactly. Fiona was already causing enough drama."
Sam let out a dry laugh.
"That's James," she said. "If something's already bad, he'll make it worse just because he can."
Cameron glanced toward Michael walking ahead.
"He went straight for him though," he said quietly. "Like immediately."
Sam's jaw tightened slightly.
"Because he likes getting under Michael's skin."
Liliana crossed her arms. "And unfortunately, he's good at it."
The hallway got louder around them as students pushed past.
Emily slowed slightly without noticing.
Every footstep suddenly sounded too loud in her ears.
Then
Sam stopped walking.
"…Wait."
She turned around and spotted Emily trailing behind everyone again.
"There you are," Sam muttered, walking back toward her.
Emily blinked slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Stop apologizing," Sam interrupted immediately.
She grabbed Emily's hand and pulled her beside her.
"You keep drifting away like you're about to disappear."
Emily looked down slightly. "I'm okay."
Sam gave her a look.
"No, you're thinking too much."
Cameron snorted quietly. "That's kind of her thing."
Emily looked mildly offended.
"I do not think too much."
"You absolutely do," Sam replied instantly.
Liliana nodded seriously. "You have the energy of someone who apologizes to chairs after bumping into them."
Emily stared at her.
"…I've done that once."
Sam burst out laughing.
"Only once?" Cameron asked.
Emily groaned softly while they laughed, and for a second the tension loosened.
Just slightly.
Then the mood shifted again.
At the end of the hallway, near the stairwell, Fiona stood beside Terra.
Watching.
Emily immediately went quiet again.
Terra leaned closer to Fiona slightly. "You're really letting her walk around after today?"
Fiona's expression stayed calm.
Too calm.
"She's embarrassing herself already," Fiona replied smoothly. "I don't need to do much."
"But you're going to," Terra said.
Fiona smiled faintly.
"Obviously."
Her eyes flicked toward Emily.
Then toward Michael ahead.
"And honestly?" Fiona murmured softly. "She's becoming inconvenient."
Emily quickly looked away.
Her stomach twisted.
Sam noticed immediately.
"Don't look at her," she muttered quietly.
Emily swallowed. "…She hates me."
Sam scoffed. "Fiona hates everybody. Don't take it personally."
"That's not comforting." Emily says
Sam replied "Wasn't meant to be."
They finally reached the classroom hallway.
Cameron and Liliana slowed near their own class door.
Cameron looked toward Sam. "If James starts something again, don't engage."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "You say that like I'm the problem."
"You are one of the problems," Cameron replied.
Liliana nodded calmly. "You and James together have the emotional maturity of a gas leak."
Sam looked offended. "That is extremely rude."
"And accurate," Cameron added.
Emily accidentally laughed under her breath.
Sam pointed at her dramatically. "Not you too."
Then Liliana's expression shifted slightly as she glanced farther down the hallway toward Michael.
"He's too quiet," she said softly.
Sam's amusement faded a little.
"…Yeah."
Cameron sighed. "Just keep an eye on him."
"Why does everyone keep saying that like he's about to commit a crime?" Sam muttered.
"Because he gets weirdly calm when he's angry," Cameron replied.
"That's fair," Sam admitted.
Liliana gave Sam one last serious look.
"And James isn't going to stop."
Sam already knew that.
It showed on her face.
"See you later," Cameron said as he opened the classroom door.
"Try not to kill anyone before last period," Liliana added.
"No promises," Sam replied lazily.
The door shut behind them.
Now it was just Sam, Emily, and the growing tension in Emily's chest.
They walked toward their own classroom quietly.
Michael was already inside.
Of course he was.
As Sam and Emily stepped into the room, the restless noise hit them immediately.
Low conversations.
Chairs scraping.
People pretending to care about math.
Sam stopped walking.
Emily looked up automatically.
Last row.
Last bench.
James sat there leaning back in his chair, completely relaxed, one arm hanging over the backrest.
A couple guys sat around him talking.
"…I'm serious," James was saying casually. "Half this school nearly had a heart attack over nothing."
One boy laughed. "People thought you were actually gonna fight him."
James smirked faintly.
"And ruin my first day back? Tragic idea."
Then his eyes shifted.
Straight to Sam.
The smirk widened immediately.
"Well," he drawled lazily. "There's my favorite welcome committee."
Sam's face twisted in disgust instantly.
"God," she muttered.
Emily blinked.
James tilted his head slightly. "Missed me that much?"
"In your dreams," Sam replied flatly.
One of the boys near James laughed awkwardly.
James rested his chin against his hand, still looking at her.
"You look happy to see me."
"I was having a decent day actually," Sam replied. "Then you started talking."
James grinned.
"There she is."
Emily noticed it immediately.
The weird tension between them.
Like this argument had happened before.
Many times.
James's eyes flicked briefly toward Emily.
Then back to Sam.
"You replaced me already?" he asked casually, glancing toward Emily beside her.
Sam looked unimpressed. "You are deeply embarrassing."
"Ouch." James says almost dramatically
Sam rolled her eyes and started walking again.
"Come on, Emily."
As they passed the last row, James spoke again.
"You still sitting near window boy?"
Sam kept walking. "You still obsessed with everyone else's business?"
James smirked lazily. "Only when it's entertaining."
They reached their seats in the middle row.
Michael sat ahead near the window in the first row, notebook already open.
Sam tapped the back of his chair lightly.
"Hey."
Michael paused writing for half a second.
Then continued.
"You alive?" Sam asked.
"Unfortunately," he replied quietly.
Sam snorted softly. "Okay, good. Sarcasm means you're functioning."
Behind them, James laughed quietly.
"Wow," he called out casually. "He speaks."
Several students looked up immediately.
Michael ignored him.
James leaned back further in his chair.
"What happened?" he continued. "Lunch drained all your personality?"
Sam turned around sharply. "James."
"What?" he asked innocently.
Michael's pen stopped moving.
James noticed instantly.
Of course he did.
He leaned forward slightly now.
"You know," he said casually toward Michael, "you used to be more fun before you started acting emotionally unavailable."
A few students snorted trying not to laugh.
Sam looked genuinely irritated now.
"Can you shut up for five minutes?"
James smirked. "Can he?"
Michael finally spoke without turning around.
"Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?"
The room went quieter immediately.
James grinned slowly.
"There he is."
Michael still didn't turn around.
James rested his arm on the desk lazily.
"I was starting to think you missed me."
Michael replied calmly, "I was hoping prison would."
Several people went completely silent.
Even James's friends stopped laughing for a second.
James smiled
But this time it didn't fully reach his eyes.
He said softly. "That one almost hurt."
Sam looked between them carefully now.
The tension had shifted.
This wasn't cafeteria drama anymore.
This felt older.
Sharper.
James tapped his fingers lightly against the desk.
"You still this angry all the time?" he asked casually.
Michael finally turned slightly in his seat.
Not fully.
Just enough.
"You still this desperate for attention?"
The classroom went dead quiet.
One student muttered a soft "shit" under his breath.
James leaned back slowly again, smirking.
"There's the Michael I remember."
Before anyone could answer
The classroom door opened sharply, cutting through the tension.
Their math teacher walked in carrying a thick stack of worksheets against his chest, he took two steps inside before finally looking up.
And immediately stopped.
The entire class went quiet before he even said anything.
The teacher dropped a thick stack of worksheets onto the front desk.
The whole class groaned immediately.
"Sir, please," someone complained. "We already suffer enough here."
"You'll live," the teacher replied
James leaned back in his chair at the last bench.
"Debatable."
The teacher ignored him.
"Since your math test is this week, I've decided to see how unprepared all of you really are."
A few students laughed tiredly.
"You'll work in pairs. Help each other. Explain answers. Whatever works."
Then he pointed toward the room.
"But you are only allowed to talk to your partner. If I hear group conversations, I'm separating people and giving extra homework."
The room got quiet instantly.
James muttered, "Threatening students is crazy."
"Returning to school after illegal doing is also," the teacher replied calmly. "Yet here we are."
James placed a hand on his chest dramatically.
"That felt personal." he said
"It was educational." the teacher replied
Sam laughed at that.
The teacher spoke up the seating list.
"Samantha Reyes with Michael Kensington."
"Fine," Sam said quickly, grabbing her notebook.
She had barely moved when the teacher continued.
"Ms. Calloway."
Emily looked up slowly.
"I've heard you're good academically," the teacher said. "So you'll help Macintyre today."
The room instantly quieted again.
"Last bench."
Sam stopped walking.
"…What?"
"You heard me." the teacher says
"No," Sam said immediately.
"Absolutely not."
The teacher looked exhausted already.
"Ms. Reyes."
"I'm serious," Sam argued. "Why does Emily have to sit with him?"
James smirked from the back.
"Aww. You protective now, sweetheart?"
Sam pointed at him instantly.
"Don't talk."
"Little rude." he added
"She's not sitting with you." she replied
The teacher sighed deeply.
"Ms. Reyes, sit down."
"But sir-!" sam spoke up
"Now."
Sam looked genuinely annoyed.
"She doesn't even know him."
James raised a brow.
Michael quietly opened his worksheet.
Sam looked at him.
"You're not helping."
The teacher rubbed his forehead.
"Ms. Calloway is academically capable. Mr. Macintyre needs help. End of discussion."
James leaned back comfortably.
"Hear that? I'm getting rescued."
"You're getting babysat." Sam shot back.
Emily still hadn't moved.
Her notebook was pressed tightly
against her chest now.
Sam looked back at her immediately.
"Emily, if he says anything weird, you tell me."
James looked offended.
"You people talk about me like I'm dangerous."
"You are." she replied
"Harsh." he said
Emily finally stood up slowly.
Whispers immediately started around the class.
"…poor girl."
"…Sam looks ready to fight."
"She is," someone whispered back.
Sam heard it.
"Correct."she whispered.
Emily carefully walked toward the last bench while James spun a pencil between his fingers lazily.
When she stopped beside the desk, he looked at her nervous face.
"You look like you're about to negotiate for your life."
Emily quietly sat down beside him.
With a very obvious amount of distance between them.
James looked at the gap.
Then at her.
"…I'm not a cactus, you know."
Emily nervously opened the worksheet immediately.
Sam twisted around in her seat again.
"I mean it, James. Don't annoy her."
James rested his chin against his hand.
"You really don't trust me with her, huh?"
"Nope." she said
He smirked slightly.
"Maybe you should switch seats with her then," he said smoothly. "Class would get way more interesting for me."
Several boys nearby laughed.
Sam looked disgusted.
"You flirt with everyone. It's actually embarrassing."
"And yet you keep talking to me." he casually replied.
James grinned wider.
Michael sighed beside her, quietly saying.
"Sam can we solve the worksheet before you two start a relationship out of pure hatred?"
Sam blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
James actually laughed.
"Kensington, that's the smartest thing you've said all day."
"Shut up," Sam muttered.
The teacher slammed another stack of papers onto the desk.
"QUIET."
The class instantly shut up.
He pointed toward the worksheets.
"Start solving before I start failing you people."
Sam rolled her eyes hard enough for anyone who was looking at her currently to notice and then adjusted in her seat.
"Your little speech didn't help at all, by the way."
Michael kept his eyes on the worksheet.
"It wasn't supposed to."
Sam looked offended.
"Excuse me?"
"You've been talking for like ten straight minutes," he replied calmly. "I was trying to save my remaining sanity."
Sam scoffed loudly.
"You're actually unbelievable."
Michael circled an answer on the sheet.
"You're loud."
"And you're weirdly calm about this whole situation." she said
That finally made him glance at her.
"What situation?"
Sam stared at him.
"Emily sitting beside James?" she whispered harshly. "Did you hit your head this morning?"
Michael looked back down at the worksheet.
"I'm calm because I'm doing math instead of giving attention to that prick."
Sam leaned closer.
"That prick is sitting beside Emily."
"And?" he says
"And?" Sam repeated. "Michael, I cannot stand him near her. He's annoying, and looks like he enjoys making people uncomfortable for entertainment."
Michael shrugged slightly.
"That part's probably true."
"Exactly." she added
"But reacting is what he wants." he said
Sam frowned.
"You really think that's all this is?"
Michael finally paused writing.
"Look at him," he muttered quietly.
Sam glanced toward the back bench.
James was leaning back lazily in his chair while Emily stayed focused on the worksheet between them.
Or at least tried to.
James said something.
Emily immediately avoided eye contact.
Sam narrowed her eyes instantly.
"He's bothering her already."
"He bothers everyone already," Michael corrected.
Sam looked unconvinced.
"I still don't trust him."
Michael sighed quietly.
"Neither do I."
"Then why are you acting so relaxed?"
Sam looked confused
"Because right now," Michael said
calmly, "he's trying to get under our skin."
Sam crossed her arms.
"And?"
"And Emily will handle him." he added
Sam blinked.
Then laughed under her breath.
"Yeah, sure," she muttered sarcastically.
"Emily. Handle James. Definitely realistic."
Michael's expression barely changed.
"She's not weak, Sam."
"I didn't say she was weak." Sam says
"You're acting like she's helpless." Michael spoke up
Sam looked back toward Emily again.
"She's too nice," she muttered. "That's worse."
Michael hummed quietly like he understood exactly what she meant.
At the back bench, James tapped the edge of the worksheet with his pen.
"You've been staring at that question for two minutes," he said lazily.
Emily immediately looked down harder at the paper.
"I'm- thinking..."
"That bad, huh?"
Emily whispers quietlyly.
"I know the answer."
"Then why do you look terrified?"
James raised a brow.
"You walked over here like you were being escorted to execution."
From the front row, Sam immediately twisted around again.
"James, leave her alone."
James looked genuinely tired now.
"You do realize she can answer for herself, right?"
"She wouldn't need to if you stopped talking." Sam replied
Michael rubbed his forehead.
"This is exactly what I meant."
Sam ignored him completely.
James looked toward Emily again.
"You always come with background commentary?"
Emily looked mortified.
Michael let out a quiet sigh.
The teacher's voice cut through the classroom again.
"Ms. Reyes," he said flatly, already annoyed, "if you continue talking, I'll start deducting marks from your actual test."
Sam leaned back in her chair with an irritated look, muttering under her breath, "Bullshit."
Michael glanced sideways at her.
"Sam," he said quietly, "Emily's gonna be alright."
Sam scoffed immediately. "You don't know that."
"I do." he said
She looked at him like he'd lost his mind.
"You've seen who she's sitting with, right?"
Michael finally looked up from the worksheet. "I also saw you make the situation ten times bigger."
Sam looked offended. "Excuse me?"
"You kept reacting to everything he said," Michael replied calmly. "That's exactly what James wanted."
Sam stared at him for a second. Then let out a dry laugh.
"So now I'm the problem?"
"I didn't say that." Michael replied
"You implied it." Sam says
Michael sighed softly. "I'm saying he likes getting under people's skin. And you keep handing him opportunities."
Sam crossed her arms tightly. "Right. Because sitting quietly while he bothers Emily is such a genius plan."
Michael looked back down at the worksheet again.
"Emily can handle herself."
Sam blinked. Then laughed again, louder this time.
"Yeah. Sure she can."
Michael finally wrote something down on the paper before answering.
"She's nervous," he admitted. "But she's smarter than people think."
Sam narrowed her eyes at him.
"You trust her way too much."
"And you trust her way too little." Michael responded
That shut Sam up for half a second.
Only half.
"Fine," she muttered finally, grabbing her pen aggressively. "I'm done talking."
"Miracle," Michael said quietly.
Sam kicked his chair lightly under the desk.
Meanwhile, at the last bench, Emily quietly solved another equation, trying her hardest to ignore everything around the room.
Beside her, James's worksheet remained completely blank.
Not one answer written.
Emily glanced at it once.
Then again.
Still blank.
Her brows pulled together slightly.
Finally, after almost a full minute of debating with herself internally, she spoke.
Very quietly.
"Why… aren't you solving it…?"
James turned his head slightly.
"Hm?"
Emily immediately looked back down at her own worksheet.
"…Nothing."
James leaned an elbow onto the desk.
"No, I heard something," he said lazily.
"Sounded like Ms. Calloway spoke, historic moment."
Emily swallowed awkwardly.
Then repeated herself, barely above a whisper.
"Why aren't you solving the worksheet?"
James looked down at the completely empty paper in front of him.
Then shrugged casually.
"Because I don't know how to."
Emily looked at him properly for the first time since sitting down.
"You don't… know?"
"I know my name," he replied. "That's about where my relationship with math ends."
Emily stared at him quietly.
James spun the pen between his fingers again.
"I haven't exactly been Silvergrove's most attentive student," he added dryly. "Thought that was obvious."
There was sarcasm in his voice.
But not embarrassment.
Like he genuinely didn't care.
Emily glanced down at the equations again.
Then back at his blank page.
"You didn't even try…"
James smirked faintly.
"And ruin my streak?"
Emily almost looked confused by him now.
Which somehow amused James more.
"You always this serious about school?"
he asked casually.
Emily nodded slightly before she could stop herself.
"Yes."
"Tragic." James replied
Emily ignored that comment.
She looked at the worksheet again for a few seconds before quietly speaking once more.
"…I could help you."
James raised a brow.
"That an offer?"
Emily hesitated.
"…If you want."
James leaned back slightly in his chair, studying her now with actual interest instead of amusement.
"Well," he said slowly, "you can try."
He tapped the blank worksheet lightly with his pen.
"But fair warning, not many people succeed at teaching me anything."
From the front row, Sam twisted around instantly after hearing that.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What's happening back there?"
Michael nudged Sam lightly with his elbow.
"Sam. Focus."
Sam turned back toward him with a sigh.
"Fine. Fine. No more looking at Emily."
Two seconds later, she looked back again.
"But seriously," she whispered, "why the hell is she talking to him?"
Michael kept solving the worksheet.
"You're acting too much, she's gonna be fine."
Sam frowned.
"You keep saying that like it means something."
Meanwhile, Emily flipped the worksheet over and started writing on the last page, trying to explain the question in the simplest way possible.
"You move this here first," she said quietly to James. "Then solve this side before dividing."
James leaned slightly closer to the paper.
Sam twisted around again for one second before quickly turning back.
"Michael," she whispered urgently, "I'm actually serious right now. James is listening to her."
Michael glanced toward the back briefly.
James was actually looking at the paper. Actually paying attention.
Michael looked back at Sam.
"Well," he said calmly, "I guess Emily explains things normally while you threaten people every five minutes."
Sam side-eyed him immediately.
"I can be calm."
Michael gave her a look.
"You threatened assaulting him with a calculator."
"He deserved it." Sam responded
At the back, Emily tapped the paper lightly.
"See? It's simple."
James looked at the equation like it personally offended him.
"You seriously want me to solve the next one?"
Emily nodded once.
"You'll be disappointed," he warned.
"..Just do it." Emily said
James squinted at her suspiciously.
"You're weirdly determined for someone this quiet."
Emily looked down at the worksheet again.
"You.. won't learn if you don't try.."
James sighed dramatically and picked up the pen.
"Fine. But when this goes horribly wrong, remember this was your idea."
Emily quietly watched as he started writing.
A few seconds passed.
Then James stopped mid-solution and looked at the numbers again.
"…Wait."
Emily looked over.
"You forgot the sign," she said softly, pointing at the equation.
James stared at it.
"That tiny thing matters?"
"Yes.." she said
"That's evil." he responded
Emily almost smiled a little.
"It's math."
James kept solving the equation, surprisingly focused now.
He cut one step, rewrote it, then leaned closer to the paper again.
"…This is stupid," he muttered.
Emily looked at the answer quietly.
"You... almost got it."
James sighed. "Did I."
Emily pointed at the line carefully.
"You forgot to divide this first."
James looked at it for a second before fixing it.
A minute later, he dropped the pen onto the desk.
"Well," he said, leaning back slightly, "guess I'm done."
Emily picked up the worksheet without saying anything and checked the solution carefully.
James watched her instead.
Not the paper. Her.
Honestly, he still didn't understand why she was helping him at all.
After literally everyone warning her about him?
Emily was nervous too. Clearly nervous.
But she still helped him anyway.
James smirked slightly to himself.
Maybe I'm just charming.
He thought.
.
Emily looked up quietly.
"You only made two mistakes."
James raised a brow.
"Only? that's… good. I feel academically validated."
At the front, Sam was finally focused on her own worksheet.
Mostly.
Michael, meanwhile, looked back again.
Toward Emily. Toward James.
His eyes stayed there a second too long.
James noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
That smug look slowly returned to his face.
Interesting.
Emily was still checking the paper when a loose strand of hair slipped across her face.
Before she could move it away herself, James casually reached over and tucked it behind her ear.
But his eyes? His eyes flicked straight toward Michael while he did it.
Just to see.
And Michael saw it.
Immediately.
His posture stiffened.
His grip around the pen tightened so hard his knuckles turned white.
A vein rose slightly along his hand.
Sam noticed instantly.
Her eyes dropped to his grip. Then slowly lifted to his face.
A smirk appeared.
She nudged him with her elbow.
Michael snapped out of it and looked at her.
Sam tried very hard not to laugh.
"Remember?" she whispered.
Michael frowned slightly. "Remember what?"
Sam leaned closer.
"No looking at Emily," she reminded him quietly. "You literally said that to me like five minutes ago."
Michael immediately looked back down at his worksheet.
"I wasn't."
Sam stared at him.
"…Right."
Michael's jaw tightened slightly as he wrote another answer down far harder than necessary.
At the back, Emily looked confused for a second after James moved her hair.
"…Thank you..." she said quietly.
James rested his chin against his hand again.
"See?" he said lazily. "I can behave."
The class slowly settled after that, the sound of pages flipping and pens tapping filling the room again.
Emily lowered her head, focusing back on her worksheet.
Beside her, James stared at the next equation with visible disappointment.
"This one looks worse," he muttered.
Emily glanced at it briefly.
"It's almost the same as the last one.."
"That's what makes it suspicious." James said
At the front, Sam noticed James actually writing again and looked genuinely disturbed.
"…Okay," she whispered to Michael. "Whatever Emily did to him, she did great."
Michael looked back once more toward the last bench.
James was solving the question.
Actually trying.
Emily sat beside him quietly, explaining small things here and there without panicking anymore.
Michael didn't answer.
Sam looked at him sideways.
At the back, James tapped the pen against the paper before speaking again.
"So," he said slowly, pointing at the equation, "if this sign changes…"
Emily looked over.
"…the answer dies again?"
Emily nodded lightly.
"Basically."
James frowned at the worksheet like it had personally insulted him.
"Evil."
The word came out so seriously that Emily accidentally laughed.
A quiet laugh.
Small.
James looked at her for a second, slightly surprised himself.
At the front, Michael heard it immediately.
His eyes lifted toward the back row again before he could stop himself.
Emily looked… comfortable.
Not fully relaxed. But less nervous.
Less afraid.
James noticed Michael looking.
Of course he did.
A slow smirk appeared on his face as he leaned back in his chair slightly.
Interesting.
Sam caught Michael turning again and nudged his arm.
"You sure you're following the rules?" she whispered. "Because you seem very invested in the back row today."
Michael finally forced himself to look away.
"…Never mind," he muttered quietly. "She's doing fine."
Sam watched him for another second.
A few minutes later, the teacher started walking between the rows, checking worksheets one by one.
Most students immediately sat up straighter like prison inspections had begun.
The teacher stopped beside Emily and James's desk.
He picked up Emily's worksheet first.
His brows lifted slightly.
"Complete already?"
Emily nodded quietly.
Then he looked at James's paper.
And paused.
Actually paused.
The classroom noticed immediately.
"Macintyre," the teacher said slowly.
"You solved these?"
James glanced at the paper.
"…I'm shocked too."
The teacher looked between the two worksheets again before setting them down.
"Well," he admitted, sounding genuinely impressed, "this is unexpected."
James rested his chin against his hand.
"I have many hidden talents."
The teacher ignored him and looked toward Emily.
"Good influence matters," he said simply.
Emily immediately looked down awkwardly at her worksheet.
James looked amused.
At the front, Sam whispered under her breath,
"Oh, she changed him already. That's terrifying."
Michael didn't say anything.
But his eyes flicked back toward Emily one more time anyway.
The teacher moved away from the last bench, stopping near the windows to explain another question to a student.
James spun the pencil lazily between his fingers before looking at Emily again.
"So, you always do this?"
Emily looked up slightly.
"Do what?"
"Help people who clearly don't care about school."
Emily hesitated.
"…Not always."
James leaned back a little in his chair.
"So I'm special then, huh."
Emily immediately shook her head.
"No, I just meant-"
"I know what you meant," he cut in with a smirk.
Emily looked back down at the worksheet quickly, pretending to fix papers that didn't need fixing.
At the front, Michael's eyes lifted toward the back row again.
Michael's jaw tightened slightly before he looked back down at his own worksheet again.
At the back, James tapped the paper lightly.
"You actually take this stuff seriously."
Emily blinked.
"…Worksheet?"
"The grades. The studying. All this." He gestured around lazily. "Like one bad score ends civilization."
Emily stayed quiet for a second.
"Grades matter.."
"To you maybe."
James scoffed lightly.
Emily looked at him carefully.
"…Maybe not to you."
That made James pause for half a second.
Then the smirk came back.
"You always this quiet?"
Emily looked confused.
"I talk."
"Barely." He replied.
The bell rang loudly before she could answer.
Emily flinched slightly at the sound.
Around the room, students immediately started standing up.
James rested his elbow against the desk, watching Emily rush to collect her papers.
Nervous again.
Like she wanted out as fast as possible.
James watched silently for a moment before speaking.
"Your group's waiting."
Emily glanced toward the front instinctively.
Sam was already standing beside Michael, both of them looking toward the back row.
"You should go," James said casually.
Emily nodded quickly.
"…Okay."
She grabbed her notebook tightly against her chest and stood up too fast.
A few loose papers slipped from between her arms and scattered onto the floor.
Emily froze.
"Oh-"
She immediately bent down to pick them up, clearly embarrassed now as nearby students glanced over.
James watched her struggle quietly.
James leaned back into his chair, commenting carelessly.
"Honestly, you're kinda pathetic."
The words hit harder than she expected.
"You don't even know me," he added. "But you still help like you think being nice will make me be nice back."
Emily's grip tightened around the notebook.
For a second she just stood there.
Not embarrassed but,
Hurt.
James looked away, like the conversation already bored him.
"Go back to your little group."
Emily swallowed hard and turned away quickly before he could see the look on her face.
At the front, Sam immediately noticed something was wrong the second Emily started walking toward them.
Michael noticed too.
Because Emily wasn't just nervous anymore.
She looked small.
And James?
He leaned back in his chair watching her leave like none of it mattered at all.
Which honestly made him look worse than if he had just insulted her outright.
Emily had barely reached them before Sam grabbed her shoulders immediately.
"What happened?" she asked fast. "Did he bother you? Was he weird? Because I swear, Emily, if he said something awful to you I'll actually hit him."
Emily blinked at her reaction before smiling a little.
"I'm okay.."
Sam narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"That's not a real answer."
Emily adjusted the notebook against her chest.
"He wasn't as bad as I thought he would be," she admitted quietly. "Mostly he just complained about math."
Sam stared at her like she had just announced something unreal to her.
"…That's it?"
Emily nodded slightly.
Sam looked genuinely in disbelief by that information.
"No. Absolutely not. That doesn't even sound like him."
Emily frowned softly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means James isn't normal," Sam replied instantly. "You're being way too nice to him."
Emily looked confused now.
"He didn't really do anything."
Sam let out a short laugh.
"That you noticed."
Michael stayed quiet for a second beside them before finally speaking.
"What did he say to you at the end?"
Emily looked at him, caught off guard.
"You noticed that?"
Michael's jaw tightened slightly.
"You looked upset."
The answer came too quickly.
Sam noticed immediately but stayed focused on Emily.
Emily hesitated before answering quietly,
"He just said helping people like that was pathetic."
Sam threw both hands up immediately.
"See?!" she snapped. "I told you he was a problem."
Emily looked down at her notebook quietly.
Something in Michael's expression changed instantly.
Real anger.
"He called you that?"
Emily immediately looked at him like she regretted.
Sam looked between them carefully.
Michael stared at Emily for another second like he genuinely thought he misheard her.
"That idiot called you pathetic?"
His voice dropped lower with every word.
Emily tried to brush it off quickly.
"It's okay, really-"
"No, it's not okay."
That came out much harsher than intended.
Even Emily flinched slightly.
Of all people.
Emily?
The girl who apologized when people stepped on her shoes. The girl who barely defended herself even when people were cruel to her.
And James called her pathetic?
Sam blinked.
Michael almost never snapped.
Ever.
Emily tightened her grip on her notebook nervously.
"He was probably joking-"
"Calling you pathetic isn't a joke."
Michael responds, frustrated, hands clinched and his jaw tight.
"He embarrassed you in front of the entire class."
Before Emily could answer, a familiar voice spoke behind them.
"You people still discussing me?"
James walked toward them lazily, hands shoved into his pockets.
Completely relaxed.
Like he hadn't caused anything.
His eyes landed on Emily first.
Then Michael.
That same smug expression appeared immediately.
"I came to thank my friend," he said casually. "She explained math better than half the teachers here."
Emily lowered her gaze instantly.
Michael noticed.
And his expression darkened even more.
James looked between them before smirking slightly.
"What?" he asked. "Still upset?"
Michael stared at him coldly.
"You called her pathetic."
The classroom went quiet.
James shrugged carelessly.
"It was a joke."
Michael laughed once.
Short.
"A joke?"
He stepped forward instantly.
"You think humiliating people is funny?"
James' smirk grew slightly.
"She survived, didn't she?"
That did it.
Michael walked straight up to James until they were nearly chest to chest.
"You don't get to talk to her like that!" he snapped.
James stared back evenly now.
"You done?"
"No," Michael shot back immediately. "Because you don't know when to shut your mouth."
A few students outside had completely stopped walking now.
Everyone was staring.
Emily looked panicked.
James scoffed quietly.
"You're overreacting."
Michael grabbed the front of his shirt before anybody could react.
The room erupted instantly.
"Michael-" Emily gasped.
Sam grabbed his arm immediately.
"Hey, HEY, stop!"
James shoved Michael back hard.
"Touch me again," he warned coldly.
Michael stepped forward again instantly.
"Or what?"
"You wanna find out?" James tone hardened.
The tension snapped violently between them.
Emily moved between them before Michael could lunge again.
"Stop it!" she said shakily.
Sam quickly grabbed Michael harder before he could move forward again.
Michael looked furious.
Actually furious.
His breathing was uneven, fists clenched tightly enough to shake slightly.
Sam stared at him in disbelief.
She had never seen him this angry over anyone before.
James adjusted his shirt slowly, glaring now too.
"All this because of one word?" he muttered.
Michael almost moved again.
Sam tightened her grip immediately.
"Michael."
"You don't get to insult her and laugh about it," Michael snapped.
James stared at him for a long second.
Then suddenly smirked again.
But this time it looked sharper.
More challenging.
"Heard you're still good on court."
Michael frowned immediately.
James shoved his hands back into his pockets.
"One game tomorrow."
Silence.
Michael stared at him coldly.
"What?"
"Basketball court. At school."
James tilted his head slightly.
"If you win," he said casually, "I'll apologize to Emily in front of everyone."
Michael's jaw tightened instantly.
"And if you win?"
James' smirk widened slowly.
"If I win…"
He paused intentionally.
"…you stop acting like some hero and do whatever I tell you for one week."
Michael's expression hardened instantly.
James continued before he could respond.
"No backing out. No attitude. No interfering with me."
The tension in the room became suffocating.
Because everybody knew James never made harmless bets.
Emily grabbed Michael's sleeve lightly.
"Please don't.."
But Michael barely seemed to hear her.
His eyes never left James.
"You really think this is a game?"
James smirked faintly.
"I think you're angry enough to say yes."
Silence.
Then Michael stepped closer until they were nearly face to face.
"When I win," he said quietly, "you're apologizing in front of everyone."
James' grin widened slowly.
"Tomorrow," he replied.
Michael answered instantly.
"Fine."
That one word settled everything.
James backed away with a satisfied look on his face.
Like this was exactly where he wanted things to end up.
And Emily suddenly felt sick.
Because somehow, without meaning to, she had become the reason two people were now heading straight toward a disaster.