Darkson High

2.4

The classroom settled into a restless quiet as Ms. Clarke, the English teacher, made her way to the front, a stack of papers in her hands. She was a tall woman with a no-nonsense demeanor, her dark hair pulled back into a severe bun. She scanned the room, her eyes sharp behind her glasses.

"Alright, everyone," Ms. Clarke began, her voice cutting through the last remnants of chatter. "Today, we're going to work on some comprehension questions from the chapters you were supposed to read over the weekend." She paused, her gaze sweeping across the room. "I trust everyone has done the reading?"

Jake leaned back in his chair, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "Wouldn't dream of skipping it, Ms. Clarke," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Ms. Clarke shot him a look that was half-annoyed, half-amused. "I'll believe that when I see it, Mr. Carver."

Nikky snickered beside Mike, nudging him slightly with her elbow. "See what I mean?" she whispered, leaning in close enough that her shoulder brushed his. "Never a dull moment."

Mike chuckled, glancing over at Jake. "Yeah, I'm starting to get the picture."

Jake, hearing the whispering, turned his head slightly and caught sight of Nikky leaning close to Mike. His grin faltered for a second, a flicker of something almost possessive crossing his face before he masked it with a smirk. "Hey, Mike," he called out, loud enough for the whole class to hear, "what's the matter? Already looking for someone to cheat off of?"

Mike looked up, unfazed, and met Jake's gaze with a calm, easy smile. "Nah, I think I've got it covered, thanks," he replied smoothly, his voice confident. He turned back to Nikky, his smile widening. "Besides, I've got a pretty good study partner right here."

Nikky laughed, clearly enjoying the playful rivalry. "Sorry, Jake," she chimed in, "looks like I'm a hot commodity today."

The class chuckled at that, the atmosphere lightening up. Even Ms. Clarke allowed herself a small smile before she cleared her throat and continued. "Alright, alright, enough banter. Let's get to work. Turn to page 152 and take a look at the first question."

The students rustled through their books, and as they did, Oliver glanced discreetly over at Maria, who was sitting across the room next to Maggie and Shanti. She was leaning forward, her high ponytail swaying back and forth as she giggled at something Maggie had whispered in her ear. Oliver's eyes lingered on her, a soft, almost longing expression on his face. He quickly looked away, pretending to focus on his book when she glanced around.

Jake, having caught Oliver's lingering glance, couldn't resist a little nudge. "Hey, Zhang," he whispered from behind him, his voice low enough not to attract Ms. Clarke's attention. "Eyes on the book, not on the girl."

Oliver flushed, still caught off guard, but he recovered quickly with a small smirk. "Just keeping an eye on my competition," he replied dryly, not quite meeting Jake's gaze. "Wouldn't want her to fall for a bad boy cliché."

Jake chuckled, raising his hands in mock defense. "Touché, mate. Just making sure you don't lose focus."

Oliver gave a faint nod, his lips quirking up slightly. "Thanks for the concern, Jake. I'll manage."

Across the room, Maggie noticed the way Shanti's gaze kept drifting toward Kendra. She rolled her eyes, a slight sneer forming on her lips. She leaned closer to Maria, whispering something that made Maria giggle louder, but Shanti seemed oblivious. Her dark eyes were focused on Kendra, a soft, almost longing look hidden behind her usual composed exterior. When Kendra's eyes met hers, something sparked between them—something warm and tentative. Kendra quickly looked away, her cheeks warming, but the corners of her lips curved up just slightly.