It started again — that sound.
Not the rustle of paper, not the hum of the ceiling fan, not even the teacher's bored voice drawing equations on the board.
It was laughter.
Elysia's laughter.
Soft. Unexpected. Disarming.
Serena sat stiffly two rows away, pretending to read her notes while her ears burned. Hansel was at it again — leaning slightly toward Elysia's desk, whispering something that made her smile and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
That tiny gesture lit something ugly inside Serena.
She didn't like sharing. Especially not attention. Especially not Hansel.
It didn't help that Hansel had once been the person Serena leaned on, walked with, studied with. Everyone thought they'd end up together.
But now?
He barely acknowledged her.
And when he did — it was to talk about Elysia.
📚Project pairing
Their first class for the day started and as usual Hansel was sitting with Elysia in class and discussing about what they had studied in the libary, their closeness made serena angry and disgusted, she was about to apprach them when Mrs chopper entered the class.
She was going to pair them for an upcoming project, and started calling out names then she got to Elysia turn and paired her withe serena.
Serena shouted in disgust that she can never work with Elysia on a project and demanded to be paired with someone else, but she was ignored by Mrs Chooper
Although Elysia didnt feel comfortable with Serena, she didn't complain and considered maybe they would be able to get along with each other if the come together and work together on a project like this.
But she was all wrong
💬 A Whispered Threat
By lunch break, Serena couldn't keep it in.
She caught Elysia alone in the hallway as she was returning from the restroom. The corridor was quiet — no witnesses, just tension in the air.
Serena stepped in her path. "You think you're clever, don't you?"
Elysia blinked, stepping slightly to the side. "Excuse me?"
"Don't play dumb," Serena hissed. "You've been here what — a week? And you already have Hansel drooling and Orion looking like a lost puppy."
Elysia gave a calm, tired look. "I didn't ask for any of that."
"You didn't have to. Girls like you love attention. I see through it."
Elysia held her stare. "I'm not afraid of you, Serena."
Serena leaned in, voice dropping. "You should be. I don't lose. Especially not to transfer girls with mystery issues and fake smiles."
Elysia's jaw clenched. "Keep threatening me, and I'll let someone who actually has authority know."
"You won't dare."
Elysia smiled sweetly. "Watch me."
📝 Teacher's Office – The Next Day
The science teacher looked up from her desk, surprised to see Elysia.
"Miss Adeniran?"
"I need to talk about my project partner," Elysia said plainly.
The teacher folded her hands. "Serena?"
"Yes. She's made the environment uncomfortable. She's... threatening me."
The teacher sat back. "Are you serious?"
"She's made it clear she doesn't want to work with me — and I'd rather not be the subject of petty bullying."
After a short silence, the teacher sighed. "Alright. I'll swap the pairs. Hansel will work with you. And Orion will go with Serena."
Elysia blinked. "Are you sure?"
"You're not the first to report issues with Serena's attitude. And I won't have students afraid to collaborate."
Elysia nodded once. "Thank you."
😠 Serena's Reaction
When the new pairings were announced in class, Serena practically sputtered.
"What?" she barked. "You're pairing me with Orion?"
The teacher didn't flinch. "Yes. And the decision is final."
Hansel gave Elysia a quiet fist bump under the desk.
"Looks like I've been promoted," he teased.
Elysia tried to suppress her smile.
Serena's glare could have melted metal.
🧪 Project Time — That Same Week
They were given three days to brainstorm their experiment.
Elysia and Hansel found a quiet spot in the library, books spread out between them, laughter slipping into every sentence. They worked well — naturally. Elysia's calm brain and Hansel's creative thinking blended like they'd been doing this for years.
Meanwhile...
Orion sat across from Serena in the science lab, barely hearing a word she said.
"Orion," Serena snapped, tapping her pen against the desk.
He blinked. "Yeah?"
"I said we could test the reaction between—ugh, never mind."
His eyes were on Elysia again — a few tables away, head bent over her notebook, smiling as Hansel leaned over to point something out.
Orion hated that smile.
Not because it was fake — because it was real. Because it was for someone else.
"Do you like her or something?" Serena asked coldly.
Orion didn't respond.
But his silence was loud.
🍃 After the Study Session
Elysia and Hansel stepped out of the library together, books in hand, the sky soft with fading sunlight.
"You're really smart," Hansel said, nudging her.
She laughed. "I'm really average."
"Nope. I've worked with a lot of people, and none of them made this project feel like a conversation."
Elysia smiled again, but this one was softer.
"Thank you, Hansel."
He gave her a quick side glance. "You ever get tired of people trying to get close to you?"
Elysia looked away, her voice almost a whisper. "I get tired of being the new girl. The replacement. The mystery. The one people get curious about and then forget."
Hansel stopped walking. "No one's forgetting you."
Their eyes met — and for a brief second, the air between them felt thicker.
Elysia looked down. "Let's just finish this project first."
Hansel smiled faintly. "For now."
😵💫 Orion, That Night
He lay on his bed, earbuds in, music playing, but none of it could drown the image out.
Elysia smiling.
Elysia laughing.
Elysia brushing Hansel's hand when she passed him a pencil.
And him, stuck doing a project with someone he barely tolerated.
He couldn't focus.
Couldn't sleep.
Couldn't stop wondering what would have happened if Elysia had been paired with him.
And that — more than anything — annoyed him.