Trapped with the Nerd

Maya strutted through the school hallways, her golden-brown hair bouncing with every step as she laughed with Sally and Luna. Her heels clicked against the floor in a rhythmic, confident pattern. She didn't have a care in the world, even with Victor trailing behind her like an annoying shadow.

"Oh, Maya, you're such a heartbreaker," Victor drawled, smirking as he leaned against a locker. His gaze followed her as if he couldn't get enough. "Blocking my perfect moment with Jackie? That was cold. Almost makes me think you still have feelings for me."

Maya rolled her hazel eyes and flipped her hair dramatically, a practiced move she'd perfected years ago. "Oh, please, Victor. I just didn't want to witness another tragic love confession. My poor eyes have suffered enough."

Jackie, standing beside Victor, clenched her fists at her sides. Maya could see the anger simmering beneath Jackie's calm exterior. "Why don't you just admit it, Maya? You still want him."

Maya smirked, tapping her chin in a mockingly thoughtful manner. "You know what? You're absolutely right." She turned to Victor with exaggerated longing in her eyes. "Oh, Vic, I still love you so much! That's why I'm currently flirting with half the basketball team and living my best life."

Victor's jaw clenched, his playful demeanor slipping for a moment as a flicker of jealousy crossed his features. "Whatever, Maya," he muttered, trying to play it off but failing.

Maya grinned inwardly, enjoying every second of it. Oh, this was fun. She didn't need to do much—Victor's jealousy worked wonders on its own. But the real entertainment was about to begin.

"Alright, class!" Their teacher, Mr. Anderson, clapped his hands loudly to gather everyone's attention. He looked far too enthusiastic for Maya's taste. "I have exciting news. You will all be working on a major project. And to make it even better…" he paused for dramatic effect, "…I have paired you all up myself."

Maya raised an eyebrow, already feeling uneasy. The idea of working on a project sounded fine, but the fact that Mr. Anderson was playing matchmaker was enough to make her nervous. He had a way of making things more complicated than they needed to be.

"You will be researching and presenting on a topic relevant to modern society. Now, let's get to the best part—your partners!"

One by one, names were called. Luna got paired with some guy from the soccer team, Sally with a theater geek she barely knew, and then—

"Maya and Eddie."

The room fell silent for a split second before Maya bolted upright. "Excuse me?" she exclaimed, not sure if she had heard correctly.

Mr. Anderson didn't even look up from his papers. "You heard me."

Maya turned to Eddie, who looked equally horrified. He was adjusting his glasses, like he was hoping they had malfunctioned and misheard the announcement.

Victor, of course, took this as his golden opportunity. "Oh, this is priceless," he chuckled, clearly enjoying the drama. "Maya, working with the nerd? I'd pay to see this disaster unfold."

Maya groaned, her hand flying to her forehead. "Mr. Anderson, this is unfair. Can I, like, bribe you to switch?"

Mr. Anderson sighed, obviously unimpressed. "Maya, do you even know what the project is about?"

"…Something important?" Maya said, her voice full of mock uncertainty.

Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose, already bracing for the worst. "This is going to be a nightmare."

The teacher ignored them, clearly focused on his own thoughts. "Now, everyone, sit with your partner and start planning."

Maya slumped into her chair, groaning in frustration. "Why did I get stuck with the nerd? I need a refund on this education system."

Eddie adjusted his glasses and gave her a look of exasperation, completely uninterested in her complaints. "You think I'm happy about this?" he muttered under his breath.

Maya gasped, placing a hand over her chest as if she had just witnessed a miracle. "Did the nerd just backtalk? Is this the end of the world?"

Eddie sighed heavily, pulling out his notes and beginning to organize them. "Let's just get this over with. We need to plan our sections."

Maya, however, was completely uninterested. She leaned back in her chair, scrolling through her phone without a care in the world. The nerve of him, actually thinking she would work. She was too busy being a social media influencer to worry about trivial matters like school projects.

Eddie snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Maya?"

Maya groaned. "Ugh, what?"

"You're not taking this seriously. If you're too busy being a social media influencer, I'll just do everything. We don't have to meet again," Eddie said with a touch of annoyance.

Maya blinked, suddenly more interested. "Wait… so you'll do all the work, and I just show up for the final presentation?"

Eddie nodded, his tone blunt. "That's the idea."

Maya grinned, leaning back in her chair with a look of pure delight. "Nerd, I think I'm starting to like you." She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, preparing to leave. "You have fun with that. Let me know when it's done!"

Eddie muttered something under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. He had a feeling this would come back to bite him later.

Later that day, Victor was fuming. "Wait, so the nerd is doing all the work, and Maya gets a free ride? That's unfair," he said, his voice dripping with jealousy and resentment.

Jackie frowned, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why do you care so much?"

Victor clenched his fists, his anger building. "I just—he's a nerd! He shouldn't be around her."

Jackie scowled, clearly irritated. "Oh, so now you're worried about who she's spending time with?"

Meanwhile, Maya was already bragging to Sally and Luna about her success. "I have cracked the system, ladies. Eddie is doing all the work. I am free." She said it with such confidence that it almost sounded like a victory.

Luna snorted, shaking her head. "You do realize that makes you the worst teammate ever, right?"

Maya waved a hand dismissively. "Details, details. Eddie will be fine. He's the one who offered to do it."

But little did she know, Eddie had plans of his own. He wasn't about to let Maya off the hook that easily.

The next day, she arrived in class, still basking in her victory, when she noticed something strange. Everyone was whispering and giggling. The room felt unusually charged with energy, and Maya could feel the eyes of her classmates on her.

Sally nudged her, a curious look on her face. "Uh… Maya, look at the board."

Maya turned and her eyes widened in horror. There, written in Eddie's neat handwriting, was a giant note for all to see:

"Maya agrees to do half the project: Research, visuals, and conclusion. Signed, Maya."

Her jaw dropped. "That little—"

Across the room, Eddie smirked, looking completely unbothered. He simply adjusted his glasses and gave her a knowing look.

Maya marched over to him, fuming. "What. Is. This?" she demanded, her voice full of frustration.

Eddie shrugged, an amused glint in his eyes. "I figured you might 'forget' to do your part, so I took precautions."

Maya narrowed her eyes. "You are pure evil."

Eddie smirked. "Took you this long to figure it out?"

Victor, who had been watching the exchange with rapt attention, burst into laughter. "Oh, this is better than I imagined. Maya, best of luck working with your genius boyfriend."

Maya whipped around, her eyes narrowing. "He is not my—"

Eddie cut her off with a grin. "Come on, partner. We have work to do."

Maya groaned, muttering under her breath. This was going to be a disaster.

To Be Continued.