If there was one thing I had learned in life, it was this: The universe had a terrible sense of timing and an even worse sense of humor. Because out of everyone in this school, out of every possible person I got paired with him "Alright class" the teacher announced clapping her hands together. "You'll be working in pairs for this term's project. I'll be assigning the groups." My stomach contracted immediately. Group work was never good news. But today it felt worse, Like something was about to go wrong and I could already feel it coming. I kept my head down pretending to read silently hoping, begging that my name wouldn't be called with his. "Elena Handerson" I griped my pen tightly and "Alexander Mayfeild" of course, of course it had to be him. A few students reacted instantly, some whispering, some turning to look at us like they had just been handed front row seats to drama concert they didn't even understand. I stayed still, maybe if I didn't move this wouldn't be real. "Elena" the teacher called again, harsher this time. I forced myself to look up. "Yes ma" Please, sit with your partner, Partner! The word felt heavier than it should have. Slowly, I stood quietly, every step toward him feels like I was walking straight into something I wasn't ready to face. His gaze was on me. I pulled out the chair beside him and sat down, keeping just enough distance between us. "Hi," he said softly. I didn't look at him. "Let's just focus on the work." Straight to the point, no space for anything else. There was a brief pause then he nodded. "Okay." For the first few minutes, we worked in silence or at least I tried to. But it was impossible to ignore him sitting right next to me. I was hyper aware of everything; The way his arm brushed the desk, the sound of his breathing even the faint scent of his cologne was kind of familiar. I hated it, I hated how my body remembered things my mind was trying to forget. "So…" he stared, I didn't look up "We need to choose a topic.""That's not what I meant." I stopped writing. Slowly, I turned to face him. "Then what did you mean?" His eyes held mine for a moment, like he was trying to figure out how to say something he should've said a long time ago. "I meant…" he hesitated then exhaled softly. "Can we talk?""No." The answer came too quickly, too easily because I already knew where that conversation would lead. Back to the past, back to questions he never answered, back to feelings I wasn't ready to deal with. "Elena""I said no," I repeated, my voice firmer this time. A few students nearby glanced in our direction, but I didn't care. I couldn't care, not right now. He leaned back slightly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "You don't even want to hear what I have to say?" I let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "Now you want to talk?" I said, finally meeting his gaze fully. "After two years?" His expression became firmer. "That's not fair.""Not fair?" I echoed, disbelief creeping into my voice. "You don't get to decide what's fair, Alex" The way his name left my lips felt strange. Like something I hadn't said in a long time, something I wasn't sure I should be saying at all."I didn't get a chance to explain," he said. "You had plenty of chances.""I tried", "No, you didn't." Because we both knew the truth; He didn't try hard enough and I didn't stay long enough to wait.The teacher's voice cut through the tension. "Everything alright over there" I turned quickly. "Yes ma." Alexander nodded beside me. "We're fine." we weren't. Not even close for the rest of the period, we focused on the project. Or at least, we pretended to. We chose a topic, divided the work, spoke only when necessary. But underneath it all, the tension remained unresolved. As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, I started packing my things immediately. I needed space, distance, and even air "Elena, wait." I paused for half a second then continued packing. "I'm serious," he said, standing up now. "We can't keep avoiding this."I slung my bag over my shoulder. "We're not avoiding anything. We're working together and that's all." "That's not all." I turned to face him, my patience slipping. "Then what is it? "He stepped closer, his voice soft and gentle "It's not over." My breath caught.For just a second everything inside me wavered. But I pushed it down Hard. "Yes," I said firmly. "It is." His jaw clenched. "You don't mean that.""You don't get to tell me what I mean." Another silence, but this one felt different. Like something was building, something neither of us knew how to control. "Fine," he said finally, his voice quieter now. "But we're still stuck together." I swallowed, because he was right. No matter how much I wanted to run, no matter how much I tried to avoid him but I couldn't, not this time. As I walked out of the classroom, I could feel it again; that pull, stronger now, more dangerous. Because this wasn't just about the past anymore, this was about what could happen next. And deep down, that scared me more than anything.
