Class 11A

Chapter 9: Quiet Triumphs and Hidden Thoughts

After what felt like the longest training session yet, Rodey dragged himself to Work Skills. Today was the day he and Maria had to present their project—the "Hitman for Hire" idea they'd wrestled with. As they stood in front of the class, Rodey felt the nerves, but Maria's calm, no-nonsense attitude kept him grounded. They delivered their presentation flawlessly, making the class laugh at the right moments, even Mr. Ainsley gave an approving nod.

When it was announced they had won second place, Rodey felt relief wash over him. It wasn't first place, but it was a triumph, considering the rocky start they'd had. During lunch, Hamza, Azad, Danny, and Charlie crowded around him, congratulating him.

"Man, second place! Congrats!" Hamza said, clapping Rodey on the back.

"Yeah, especially with that crazy 'Hitman' idea. You guys really pulled it off," Azad added.

"Getting second place is huge," Charlie said, slapping Rodey on the shoulder.

"Considering how out there your idea was, it's actually impressive," Danny said with a playful grin.

Rodey laughed, grateful for their support, but something nagged at him. While his friends celebrated, his eyes drifted to Lin, sitting alone at the end of the table. Lin looked deep in thought, a napkin twisted between his fingers as he stared blankly into space.

Curiosity gnawed at Rodey. He excused himself from the group and slid into the seat next to Lin.

"Yo, Lin," Rodey said, his voice cutting through the cafeteria's noise. "Everything okay?"

Lin blinked, as if snapping out of a daydream. "Yeah... yeah, just thinking."

Rodey's eyes fell on the napkin in Lin's hand. It wasn't just any napkin—it was folded carefully, like something Lin was holding onto for a reason. He caught sight of a faint initial embroidered on the corner: "K."

Rodey raised an eyebrow. "What's with the napkin?"

Lin hesitated, shifting in his seat as he tried to stuff it into his pocket. "It's... nothing. Just something I found in my bag."

Rodey tilted his head, studying Lin's expression. He'd seen that awkwardness before. His eyes flicked toward the initials on the napkin again. "K"... there was only one person that could be linked to.

"Wait, wait." Rodey smirked, realization dawning on him. "That's not just any napkin, is it?"

Lin looked away, his face flushing slightly. "It's... Kelly's, alright? I found it in my bag. I don't even know how it got there."

Rodey's smirk widened. "Kelly McKenzie's napkin, huh? Dude..."

Lin ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated and embarrassed. "It's not like that. I don't know why it's in there. She probably dropped it or something."

Rodey leaned back, crossing his arms with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Or something? C'mon, man. You don't just hold onto a napkin with someone's initials for nothing."

Lin let out an exasperated sigh, his gaze drifting to where Kelly sat with her friends. She was laughing, completely absorbed in whatever conversation they were having, but every so often, her eyes flicked over to Lin's side of the room.

Rodey caught the glance and couldn't resist. "She definitely likes you, man."

"Stop," Lin muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "It's not like that. We've got bigger things to worry about with the match and the team."

Rodey wasn't buying it. "Bigger things, huh? Dude, you've been stressing about this match for weeks, and now you've got this going on. You can't tell me it's not messing with your head."