Project Chaos

Crestwood High's library buzzed with subdued chatter as students shuffled into their assigned seats. Maya didn't bother hiding her groan when the teacher announced the month-long project: A presentation on societal expectations in the modern world. She flipped her golden brown hair, already envisioning herself paired with Luna or another one of her friends.

The teacher's voice cut through her daydream. "Maya Carter and… Eddie Thompson."

"Wait, what?" Maya blurted, her voice loud enough to turn heads.

Even the librarian, perched like a hawk behind her desk, glared at her. Maya slouched in her chair, cheeks burning. This was not happening. Eddie Thompson—the quiet, nerdy guy who was always nose-deep in a book—was her partner? Out of all the people in class?

She glanced toward him. He was already seated at the far end of the library, hunched over a notebook. His dark hair flopped over his forehead, partially hiding his face as he scribbled furiously. For a moment, he glanced up, caught her stare, and then immediately looked away. His green eyes, sharp and startling against his pale skin, left an impression that lingered longer than she liked.

"This is going to be fun," she muttered under her breath, sarcasm thick in her voice.

With a dramatic sigh, she grabbed her bag and strolled over, dropping into the chair across from him. "Hey, partner," she said, her tone dripping with forced cheer. "Let's rock this project!"

Eddie barely looked up. "Sure."

That was it. One word. No smile, no enthusiasm. Just sure.

"Wow," Maya said, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hand. "You really know how to make a girl feel welcome."

Eddie's pen didn't stop moving. "Didn't realize you needed a welcome committee."

Maya's jaw dropped. "Okay, snarky. I didn't know you had that in you, Thompson."

This time, he glanced up, his green eyes meeting hers for a second before darting away. "There's a lot you don't know about me."

She blinked, caught off guard for a moment. Was that… attitude? From Eddie Thompson? Shaking her head, she smirked. "Alright, Mr. Mystery, let's see what you've got. Any ideas for this project, or do you plan to let me do all the work?"

Eddie set his pen down, folding his arms. "I'm pretty sure that's my line."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, you don't exactly have a reputation for… academic enthusiasm," he said, his lips curving into the smallest smirk.

Maya gasped, clutching her chest theatrically. "Wow. Judgy much? You don't even know me!"

"I know enough," he said with a shrug.

"Oh, really?" She narrowed her eyes, leaning closer. "And what exactly do you think you know about me, Thompson?"

He hesitated, clearly debating whether or not to answer. His green eyes flicked toward her, then quickly dropped to his notebook. "Can we just focus on the project?"

"Fine," she said, leaning back with a playful huff. "But for the record, I'm totally capable of taking this seriously."

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, really! Watch and learn, Thompson." She grabbed her pen and started scribbling on a blank page. After a few seconds, she held it up proudly.

Eddie squinted at the doodle of a stick figure holding a banner that read Maya Rules! "Impressive," he deadpanned.

"Thank you," she said, grinning when he sighed in response. "I thought so too."

Eddie shook his head, but she caught the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Alright, let's divide the work. I'll handle the research—"

"Why do you get the research?" Maya interrupted.

"Because I actually like reading?"

"Fair point," she admitted. "But I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing. I'll—" She paused, twirling her pen. "I'll make it look pretty. You know, organize it, design the slides, stuff like that."

Eddie gave her a skeptical look. "You mean you'll make it sparkly and covered in glitter?"

"Exactly," she said, laughing when his expression turned horrified. "Relax, Thompson. I'll keep it professional. Mostly."

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This is going to be a long month."

"For you," Maya teased. "For me, this is just the warm-up. By the end of this project, you'll be begging to partner with me for everything."

"I doubt that," he muttered, but his pink cheeks betrayed him.

For the next hour, they brainstormed ideas, though it was more of a tug-of-war than a collaboration. Maya couldn't resist poking at Eddie whenever he got too serious.

"So, books, huh?" she asked, tapping her pen against her notebook. "What's the deal? Are you, like, a future author or something?"

"I just like reading," he said, not looking up.

"Why? Books are boring."

That got his attention. He sat up, his green eyes narrowing. "Books are not boring. They're—" He stopped, seeming to catch himself.

"They're what?" Maya prompted, grinning.

"They're better than people," he muttered, looking anywhere but at her.

Maya blinked, surprised. "Better than people? That's… kinda depressing."

"Maybe," Eddie said, shrugging. "But books don't interrupt you every five seconds to ask dumb questions."

Maya gasped, clutching her chest again. "Was that another roast? You're on fire today, Thompson!"

Eddie sighed, shaking his head. "Let's just get this done."

Maya leaned back, watching him jot notes in his neat, precise handwriting. "You know," she said, "you're not as boring as I thought you'd be."

"Thanks," he said dryly. "I'll add that to my list of compliments."

She laughed. "Oh, come on, it's a good thing. You're kinda fun to mess with."

Eddie glanced up, his green eyes holding hers for a moment longer than before. "Glad I could entertain you."

By the time they packed up, Maya was grinning from ear to ear. Eddie, on the other hand, looked like he'd run a marathon.

"Same time tomorrow, partner," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Don't miss me too much."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "I'll try to manage."

As she walked away, Maya glanced back and caught him watching her before quickly looking down at his notebook. She smirked. This was going to be more fun than she'd thought.