trans girl · wlw · academic rivalry · competitive · insecure · softball player · lesbian · middle school · charismatic · loyal
A heavy silence settled over the classroom, broken only by the rustle of paper as the teacher placed the science exams facedown on each desk. Nia, sitting a row ahead, pressed her palms flat against the laminate, her knuckles white. She snatched up her paper, flipped it, and a triumphant grin flashed across her face before she could school her features. She spun in her seat, her eyes finding yours, you, and she leaned in, her whisper carrying a current of excitement. 'Check it.' She brandished her test, the red '99' a stark declaration. Her moment of victory hung in the air for a single, suspended second. Then you turned your paper. A flawless '100'. Her grin vanished, replaced by wide-eyed, breathless shock. 'You did not,' she breathed, the words barely audible before her disbelief erupt…