Annoyingly Interesting

Mike could still hear the echo of the final bell ringing in his ears as he walked toward the bus stop with his hands shoved in his pockets. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the pavement, but the day's heat was still clinging to the air. Students hurried past him, their backpacks bouncing as they rushed home. Mike, though, wasn't in much of a rush. His thoughts were still stuck on Emi.

Emi the Artist.

He chuckled to himself, thinking about the way her face had scrunched up when he knocked her sketchbook off the desk. She'd been mad at first, that was clear. But there was something about her reaction that had intrigued him. She hadn't just brushed him off or given him a cold shoulder like some of the other girls would have. Instead, she'd laughed.

Mike liked that.

"Yo, Mike!" Ryan called out, jogging up beside him. His backpack swung dangerously as he caught up. "You're heading to the bus stop?"

"Nah, I've got a ride today," Mike replied, glancing toward the parking lot. "Just hanging back for a bit."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, shooting him a suspicious look. "You've been grinning like an idiot since class ended. What's up with you?"

Mike shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Just messing with one of the new girls. You know, Emi?"

Ryan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Oh, the artsy one, right? She's always got her head in a sketchbook."

"Yeah, that's her," Mike said. "She's... interesting."

"Interesting?" Ryan raised his eyebrow again. "You don't find anyone interesting unless you can prank them or laugh at them."

Mike smirked. "She's different."

Ryan shot him a knowing look, one that Mike ignored. "Well, good luck with that," Ryan said, clapping him on the back. "I'll see you tomorrow, man."

"Yeah, see you," Mike called after him.

As he watched Ryan walk away, Mike found himself thinking back to the moment in class when Emi had finally cracked a smile. He hadn't expected her to laugh. Most girls would've rolled their eyes, maybe told him off, or just ignored him. But Emi had played along, and something about that made Mike want to see more of her reactions. He liked that she didn't take him too seriously.

But what exactly was it about her that kept drawing his attention?

Mike scratched the back of his head, frowning as he tried to shake off the thought. It wasn't like he had a crush or anything. He didn't even really know her. Still, there was something about her that made him want to bother her again—just to see what she'd do next.

The next day, Mike walked into class with a plan. He spotted Emi sitting at her desk again, near the window, as usual. Her sketchbook was already out, pencil moving smoothly across the page. The sunlight streaming in through the window made her look almost serene, as if she were completely detached from everything happening around her.

Mike couldn't help but smirk. Not for long.

He casually strolled over to her desk and leaned against it, watching her work. Emi didn't look up right away. She was too focused on her drawing, her pencil darting across the paper with confidence. But Mike wasn't one to be ignored.

"Hey, Emi the Artist," he said, his voice light and teasing. "Drawing something interesting?"

Emi blinked and looked up, surprised to see him again. Her eyes briefly scanned his face before flicking back down to her sketchbook. "You again? What, is bothering me your new hobby?"

Mike grinned. "It's not bothering if you enjoy it."

Emi snorted, her lips twitching into a half-smile. "Who says I enjoy it?"

"You're smiling," Mike pointed out, leaning closer.

She quickly wiped the smile off her face, but her eyes betrayed her amusement. "I was smiling at my drawing. Not you."

Mike leaned over her shoulder, pretending to inspect her work. "Looks good," he said casually. "But, uh, maybe it needs a little something extra. Like a dragon. Dragons make everything cooler."

Emi's hand froze mid-sketch as she turned to look at him, eyebrows raised. "A dragon?"

Mike nodded seriously. "Yeah. Imagine it, just breathing fire over the whole scene."

Emi stared at him for a moment, then shook her head, biting back a laugh. "You've officially lost it."

"I think I've had this conversation with my friends before," Mike said thoughtfully, leaning back. "About how dragons are severely underrepresented in school projects."

"Right," Emi said, humoring him. She put her pencil down and turned in her chair, crossing her arms. "You know, I think you've got way too much time on your hands."

Mike shrugged. "What can I say? I'm an ideas guy."

Emi smiled despite herself. She was starting to see the pattern here. Mike wasn't going to stop anytime soon, and while she found him irritating at first, his persistence was oddly charming. At least he wasn't like the other boys in class who only knew how to talk about video games or sports.

She turned back to her sketchbook, trying to refocus on her drawing. But now, with Mike hovering behind her, she could feel his presence like a little buzzing in her ear. He wasn't exactly subtle.

After a few moments of silence, Mike spoke up again. "So, what are you drawing today? Something secret?"

Emi sighed, knowing she wouldn't be left in peace until she gave him an answer. "Just... a landscape. It's not a big deal."

Mike peered over her shoulder again, his interest piqued. "You're pretty good at that," he said, sounding genuinely impressed. "Have you been drawing for a long time?"

She hesitated, not sure if he was making fun of her or if he was actually interested. "Yeah... since I was a kid. It's just something I've always liked doing."

Mike nodded thoughtfully, surprising her with his lack of teasing. "That's cool. I mean, I couldn't draw to save my life, so props to you."

Emi blinked, not sure how to respond. She was so used to people brushing off her art as just a hobby or something trivial that Mike's simple compliment caught her off guard.

"Thanks," she muttered, feeling a strange warmth creeping up her neck. She quickly turned back to her sketch, hoping he wouldn't notice her blushing.

The bell rang, and the teacher, Mrs. Carter, walked in, silencing the class with a single sharp look. Mike reluctantly took his seat behind Emi, giving her a quick wink before sitting down. Emi rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips.

As Mrs. Carter began droning on about history, Emi found it harder and harder to concentrate. It wasn't that the subject was boring (though it was), but she couldn't stop thinking about the boy sitting behind her. Mike was loud, obnoxious, and constantly goofing off, but there was something about him that was... interesting.

He was unpredictable. One moment he was teasing her about her drawings, and the next, he was complimenting her without a hint of sarcasm. She didn't know what to make of him. Boys like Mike weren't exactly her type—she usually gravitated toward people who understood her creativity, not people who interrupted her with ridiculous ideas about dragons. But still, he had her attention.

As Mrs. Carter scribbled something on the board, Emi felt a light tap on her shoulder. She glanced back to see Mike holding a small scrap of paper, his expression innocent but his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Curious, Emi took the paper and unfolded it under her desk. Inside, in Mike's messy handwriting, were two words:

Dragon sketch?

Emi stifled a laugh, quickly crumpling the note in her hand before Mrs. Carter could see. She shook her head at Mike, who was grinning widely behind her.

She scribbled a quick reply on the back of the note and handed it over when Mrs. Carter wasn't looking.

Maybe. If you can sit still for five minutes.

Mike glanced at the note and snorted softly, shooting her a thumbs-up.

After class, Emi packed up her sketchbook and headed toward the door, hoping to slip out unnoticed before Mike could catch up with her. But, of course, that wasn't going to happen.

"Hey, Emi the Artist!" Mike called, jogging up to her side. "I'm serious about that dragon, you know."

Emi gave him a sideways glance. "And I'm seriously considering it. If you behave."

Mike grinned. "Guess I'll have to start behaving, then."

They walked in silence for a few moments, weaving through the crowded hallway. Emi could feel the eyes of some of her classmates on them, but she ignored it. Mike was annoying, sure, but he was also oddly easy to talk to. She wasn't quite sure what to make of him yet, but she had a feeling that she hadn't seen the last of his teasing.

"See you tomorrow?" Mike asked, his tone light but expectant.

"Yeah," Emi replied with a small smile. "See you tomorrow, Mike the Annoying."