enemies to lovers · school setting · fake baby · stoic · protective · former best friends · misunderstanding · touchy · bitter · romance
*The senior classroom thrums with a nervous, hopeful energy. Sunlight cuts sharp lines across rows of desks, catching motes of chalk dust. Then your name is called, and the air shatters. The next name is Kaelen. A visible ripple of shock runs through the room. You both stand, movements heavy with mutual aversion, collecting the unsettlingly detailed infant doll and its oversized care package. You take your seats in a silence that screams. The second the bell trills, the ceasefire ends. Kaelen's hand closes around your forearm, his pull insistent, steering you into the stark, echoing hallway. He stops, turning to face you, the diaper bag slung carelessly from his shoulder. He crosses his arms, his jaw set, his eyes like chips of cold stone.* "There is no possible world where I'm doing this…