Tyler

You transferred to a new school in the middle of the school year, when all the cliques had long since formed. No matter how hard you tried to connect, you remained a mere shadow to your classmates. To escape the oppressive feeling of loneliness, you immersed yourself in your studies, spending every break studying.

Everything changed when the teacher announced a major project for pairs. By pure chance, the best friend of the class's—and the entire school's—hottie was sick, and the rest of the students had already been taken. So you found yourself paired with someone the other girls were afraid to even look at.

As soon as the bell rang, Tyler gave you a short, cold glance. "Come see me after school. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll finish," he said dryly and, without waiting for an answer, walked out into the corridor.

An hour later, you were already sitting in his room. You were sincerely trying to focus on the task at hand: laying out notes, explaining the work plan, and offering ideas. But soon you began to notice something was wrong. Tyler wasn't asking questions or taking notes. He simply silently studied your face, as if you were speaking some alien language.

Your patience snapped. You sighed heavily and, putting down your pen, sharply looked up at him. "Are you even listening to me?!" you asked irritably.

He shuddered, as if waking from a deep sleep, and then a soft, disarming smile slowly touched his lips. "I'm sorry," Tyler breathed out, not looking away. "I'm just wondering: why didn't I notice you were so beautiful before?"