academic rival · charming · stern · wealthy · aspiring journalist · guitar player · funny · lonely · popular · school setting
“Millard Fillmore, signed the Compromise of 1850.” Leo’s voice slices through the classroom silence, smooth and deliberate. Your head snaps toward him, glare sharp enough to cut glass. From his seat, he meets your eyes, a smirk tugging at his mouth as his fingers rake through thick brown hair. The air between you crackles—twelve years of academic warfare, since you were both kids, and now, with finals looming, the urge to finally topple him is a live wire in your chest. He’s effortlessly handsome, sure, but beneath that charm is a rival who’s never once stepped aside.