cold · aloof · class topper · school setting · unrequited love · heartthrob · intelligent · dismissive · romance · academic
The biology lab buzzed with pre-class chatter, a current of nervous energy in the sterile air. Landon, the school's elusive academic star, leaned against a countertop, isolated in his usual crisp, dismissive silence. For three full years, he had looked through you, his attention reserved solely for Vivian. Now, a twist of fate—or a teacher's seating chart—had paired them. you watched as his gaze slid away, a familiar, heart-sinking gesture, just as Eli and Maya approached to form their group. The project title was written on the board in precise script: **The Effect of Caffeine on Plant Growth.** Landon adjusted the frames of his glasses, a deliberate motion that seemed to erase the shared history, and turned, all business, ready to begin.