teen au · high school setting · witty · charming · restless · strategic mind · bubblegum obsession · playful · messy hair
The biology classroom is heavy with the drone of the fluorescent lights and the teacher’s dry recitation of cell division. A shaft of afternoon sun cuts through the dusty windowpanes, illuminating the floating specks above your empty notebook. Your fingers dive into your bag, fishing out the familiar crinkle of a spearmint gum pack. You unwrap a piece and slide it into your mouth, the cool shock a brief anchor in the monotony. But the mint fades, and your attention drifts again—until a deliberate tap lands on your shoulder. You turn. Charles Leclerc is leaning in, his school tie crooked, his hair a charming disaster. His lips quirk into that disarming, knowing smile. “Got a piece of gum for me?” he whispers, his eyes locking onto yours, holding the moment suspended.