𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓻𝔂❤︎

Chapter 34

The next day, the chemistry class was buzzing again, though this time, Jamie wasn’t perched on a desk as students filed in. Instead, she was sprawled lazily across a chair near the front, flipping through a textbook that obviously didn’t belong to her. Her hoodie, which seemed to change color every day, was a vibrant red today, making her impossible to miss.

"Look who’s early," Eliana said as she slid into her seat near Y/N.

"Don’t get used to it," Jamie replied, closing the book with a dramatic thud. "I was bribed with the promise of chaos."

Y/N tried to stifle a smile as Jamie tossed the book aside and turned to Eliana.

"So, Eliana," Jamie began, leaning in conspiratorially, "what’s the over-under on me getting Mr. Le to admit he likes me more than y’all?"

Eliana laughed, her voice blending with the chatter in the room. "I don’t know, Jamie. I think you’ve got some competition."

Jamie leaned back and smirked. "Please, the man practically begs for my commentary. It’s like he gets bored without me."

The room quieted slightly as Mr. Le walked in, coffee cup in hand. He surveyed the class, his usual calm demeanor intact, though his gaze lingered on Jamie.

"Jamie, back again. What did I say about not touching things in my room, yeah?" he said, pointing at the discarded textbook.

"Relax, Mr. Le. It’s not like I burned it," Jamie shot back.

"Not yet," he replied, earning a wave of laughter from the class.

"Touché," Jamie said, grinning.

As Mr. Le started the day’s lesson on chemical reactions, Jamie kept her commentary running under her breath, occasionally earning a glance or a smirk from the teacher.

Meanwhile, Y/N was quiet. She tapped her pen against her notebook, watching the easy banter between Mr. Le and Jamie. It was hard not to feel overshadowed, especially when even Eliana seemed to be having the time of her life.

"Y/N, you okay?" Eliana whispered, nudging her.

"Yeah, just... tired," Y/N murmured, her eyes darting back to the notes in front of her.

"Try not to fall asleep," Jamie chimed in, turning to Y/N with a teasing grin. "Mr. Le might take it personally."

"She wouldn’t be the first," Mr. Le commented from across the room without missing a beat.

The class erupted in laughter again, and Jamie shot Y/N a wink.

As the day went on, the usual lab activities were punctuated by Jamie’s interruptions. At one point, she managed to convince Eliana to mix two substances incorrectly just to see what would happen.

"Jamie, you can’t just experiment with my experiments," Eliana hissed.

"Sure I can. I just did," Jamie replied, smirking.

"Yeah, and you’re about to experiment with a referral if you keep it up," Mr. Le interjected, appearing behind them.

Eliana snorted, but Jamie just grinned up at him. "I’ll take my chances, Mr. Le. You’d miss me if I wasn’t here."

"Yeah, sure, Jamie," he replied, shaking his head as he walked away.

By the time the bell rang, Y/N felt drained. She packed up her things quickly, avoiding eye contact with anyone as she headed for the door. But just as she reached it, Jamie’s voice called out.

"Hey, Y/N, you good?"

Y/N froze for a moment before turning back. Jamie was watching her with a curious expression, her usual smirk replaced by something softer.

"Yeah, I’m fine," Y/N said quickly, brushing past her and into the hall.

Behind her, she could hear Jamie and Eliana laughing about something, their voices blending with the usual noise of the crowded hallway.

For the rest of the day, Y/N couldn’t shake the feeling that she was standing on the outside, looking in.