As Charlie and MJ close their lockers, Isabella runs up to them, cheeks flushed and a wide grin on her face.
"Guys, guess who just asked me to the dance?" she exclaims, her excitement palpable.
Charlie and MJ exchange curious glances, waiting for the reveal.
"Who?" MJ asks.
"Brandon Pierre!" Isabella announces, and Charlie joins her in elation, jumping up and down. MJ stands with her textbooks, a soft smile on her face as she basks in her friend's joy.
"Isn't the dance one month away?" she asks as they walk to their next class together.
"Well, yeah, but I never knew he felt that way about me! You should've seen his face when he asked, he was so red! It was the cutest thing ever," Isabella gushes, blushing at the memory.
"Lucky. I don't know if anyone is gonna ask me," Charlie laments. "I don't know if it's 'cause I'm too quiet or what, but none of the guys here have looked my way even once."
"It's definitely because you're shy, Charlie," Isabella attests, wrapping an arm around Charlie's neck with a knowing look.
"Seriously, you need to put yourself out there more," she advises, then glances at MJ. "Both of you do. You guys are super pretty and deserve dates, too. I've seen the way that Miles kid looks at you, MJ. He's literally obsessed," Isabella insists, but MJ dismisses the idea.
"Miles is just really nice. I don't think he likes me that way," she counters, but Isabella remains unconvinced.
"He always stares at you and tries to talk to you even when we're not supposed to be talking in Mrs. Rivera's. He still texts you even though the project is over," Isabella points out.
"That's because he's my friend now. We're not just project partners anymore," MJ argues.
Isabella narrows her eyes, not in malice but in scrutiny, as if trying to dissect MJ's responses.
"You're so naive. Guys always crush on you and you mistake it for friendliness," she remarks dryly.
"Which guys?" MJ scoffs, feeling confused by the sudden turn in their conversation.
"She's so blind, I swear. Right, Charlie? Isn't she blind?" Isabella nudges Charlie's shoulder for confirmation.
"I'm not blind, I'm realistic. I'm not gonna think that every guy that looks my way is madly in love with me." MJ rolls her eyes.
"Sometimes that's the case, MJ," Charlie adds her own input, earning her an exasperated glare.
"I'll save myself the embarrassment and delusion, thank you," MJ grumbles, just as they turn a corner and nearly collide with none other than Miles Morales, who scrambles to keep his books from falling out of his hands.
"MJ!" he grins as soon as he sees her.
Beside her, Isabella mutters something under her breath, while Charlie stifles a giggle behind her hand.
"Hey, Miles," MJ waves.
"Uh, I was just looking for you, actually," he says, flipping the pages between one of his books before extracting a sheet of paper and handing it to her upside down.
"What is this?" MJ asks, about to flip the paper over before Miles stops her with a hand above her own.
"Wait! Don't look at it yet. Check it when you're alone, okay?" he tells her, raising MJ's suspicion as she regards him with a raised eyebrow.
"Um, okay," she finally agrees, folding the sheet between her binder.
"Okay! Uh," he looks side to side, seemingly unsure what to do with himself before gesturing to another hallway. "I gotta get going," he says with an awkward smile before spinning on his heels and running away.
