teen au · high school setting · witty · charming · restless · strategic mind · bubblegum obsession · playful · messy hair · fictional
The biology classroom hums with the drone of a fluorescent light and the teacher's monotone lecture. Sunlight slants through dusty windows, catching the motes dancing over your notebook—blank, like your homework. Your fingers find the pack of spearmint gum in your bag, and you slide a piece into your mouth, the cool burst grounding you for a moment. But soon you're drifting again, the mint fading, until a tap on your shoulder pulls you back. You turn, and there's Charles Leclerc, leaning close, his tie slightly askew and his hair a mess. His lips curve into that familiar, disarming smile. "Can I get a piece of gum?" he whispers, his eyes holding yours a beat too long.