Imagine Book 2 (Requests Welcome)

An Unlikely Romance- Cassie Howard (Euphoria)

As requested by JayDog5380! Male Y/N

The autumn breeze carried the sound of carnival music and laughter across East Highland's annual fair. Y/N adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses, trying to ignore the flutter in his stomach as Cassie Howard walked beside him, her blonde hair catching the golden afternoon light. She'd surprised everyone – including herself – when she'd agreed to come to the fair with him after they'd been paired up for a chemistry project.

"I still can't believe you've never been to a fair before," Cassie said, glancing at him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the rows of colourful booths and spinning rides.

Y/N shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his navy cardigan. "Academic decathlon usually falls on the same weekend. But this year, I thought..." He hesitated, looking at her sideways. "Well, some things are worth missing practice for."

Cassie's cheeks flushed pink, and she bumped her shoulder against his playfully. "You're such a nerd," she teased, but there was warmth in her voice that made Y/N's heart skip a beat.

"Yeah, well, this nerd is going to win you the biggest stuffed animal at that ring toss booth." He surprised himself with his boldness, but Cassie's delighted laugh made it worth it.

"Oh really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Mr. 'I can calculate the trajectory of a projectile' thinks he can beat a rigged carnival game?"

"Physics is physics, Cassie. Even at a fair." He pushed his glasses up his nose with determination, making her giggle.

To both their surprise, Y/N's calculations paid off. After a few practice throws and some muttered equations under his breath that made Cassie shake her head fondly, he managed to land three rings in a row. The booth operator looked genuinely shocked as he handed over an enormous pink teddy bear.

"That was amazing!" Cassie hugged the bear to her chest, beaming. "Who knew being a nerd could be so... useful?" There was something different in her voice when she said it – something that made Y/N's usual self-consciousness about being the 'smart kid' fade away.

They wandered through the fair, sharing cotton candy and taking turns pointing out the most ridiculous prizes at different booths. Y/N found himself relaxing more with each passing minute, forgetting about the stares from their classmates who clearly couldn't figure out why Cassie Howard was spending time with the school's biggest academic overachiever.

"Oh, look!" Cassie grabbed his hand suddenly, pointing at the Ferris wheel that towered above the fairground. "We have to go on that before it gets dark!"

Y/N stared at their linked hands, his brain short-circuiting for a moment before he managed to form words. "Isn't that a little... cliché?"

"Sometimes clichés are clichés for a reason," Cassie said softly, and something in her expression made Y/N's breath catch.

The line for the Ferris wheel wasn't long – most people were still crowded around the faster rides. As they climbed into their car, Cassie set her teddy bear between them, but as they began to rise, she moved it to the floor and slid closer to Y/N.

"You know," she said as they climbed higher, "everyone probably thinks I'm crazy."

Y/N's hands fidgeted in his lap. "Because you're hanging out with me?"

"Because I'm hanging out with someone who actually sees me." She turned to face him, and Y/N was struck by the vulnerability in her eyes. "Do you know how rare that is? Everyone else... they look at me and see what they want to see. The pretty, dumb blonde. The girl who'll do anything for attention." She laughed, but it was hollow. "But you... you offered to tutor me in chemistry without assuming I couldn't understand it. You get excited explaining things to me instead of talking down to me."

"That's because you're smart, Cassie," Y/N said quietly. "Maybe not in the same way I am, but you understand people in a way I never could. And when you're interested in something, you're brilliant at it."

Their car reached the top of the wheel and stopped, giving them a view of the entire fair spread out below, lights beginning to twinkle in the dusk.

"See?" Cassie's voice was barely above a whisper. "That's exactly what I mean. You actually see me."

Before Y/N could respond, Cassie leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was soft and sweet, tasting of cotton candy and possibility. When she pulled back, her eyes were shining.

"I've been wanting to do that since you spent twenty minutes explaining molecular bonds to me and got so excited you knocked over your water bottle," she admitted.

Y/N knew he was blushing furiously, but he couldn't stop smiling. "I've been wanting you to do that since... well, probably since freshman year, if I'm being honest."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because you're Cassie Howard," he gestured vaguely. "And I'm... me."

"Yeah," she took his hand, intertwining their fingers. "That's exactly why."

--

The next day at school, they walked into the cafeteria together, Cassie proudly carrying her fair-won teddy bear. The shock on everyone's faces would have been comical if Y/N hadn't been so nervous. But then Cassie squeezed his hand and gave him that smile – the real one, not the practised one she usually wore at school – and none of the stares mattered.

"Oh my god," Maddy's voice carried across the cafeteria. "You actually weren't kidding about the nerd thing."

"Nope," Cassie popped the 'p' sound, sliding onto the bench and pulling Y/N down beside her. "Turns out smart is sexy. Who knew?"

"Girl, what kind of teen movie moment..." Maddy started, but Lexi cut her off.

"I think it's sweet," Cassie's sister said, giving Y/N an approving nod. "And if anyone gives you guys shit about it, they'll have to deal with me."

"Same here," Kat chimed in, looking up from her phone. "Besides, it's kind of iconic. The academic champion and the..." she caught herself before saying something potentially offensive, "...the cheerleader. Very retro."

"Speaking of academic champion," Y/N reached into his bag and pulled out a folder. "I might have done some research on the history of cheerleading last night. Did you know it was originally an all-male activity? The first female cheerleaders didn't appear until 1923."

"See?" Cassie beamed at her friends as she accepted the folder. "This is why I like him. He doesn't just assume I only care about makeup and boys. He actually wants to help me understand the history of what I do."

"Okay, that is kind of cute," Maddy admitted. "In a totally dorky way."

As their friends continued to discuss this unexpected development, Cassie leaned over and whispered in Y/N's ear, "Want to go to the library during free period? You can tell me more about cheerleading history, and maybe we can recreate that Ferris wheel moment between the stacks."

Y/N felt his face heat up, but he nodded eagerly. "I'd like that. Though I should warn you, I might get distracted and end up telling you about the fascinating architecture of the library instead."

"Nerd," Cassie said fondly, kissing his cheek. "Don't ever change."

Looking around at their mixed group of friends – the popular crowd and his fellow academic team members slowly, awkwardly beginning to mingle – Y/N realized that sometimes the most unlikely combinations turned out to be the best ones. Just like in chemistry, sometimes two completely different elements could come together to create something unexpected and beautiful.

And as Cassie launched into an enthusiastic discussion about organizing a fundraiser that would benefit both the cheerleading squad and the academic decathlon team, Y/N knew he wouldn't trade this unlikely romance for anything in the world.