Chapter 1 : ♡ the "rivals" ♡
Sunny days, rainy days, winter days, or even stormy days? Every day is special, but today is a bit.. different?
At San Andres High, Claire torres, an exceptional perfectonest student council president, while Ryan Mercado, he's a charming valedictorian candidate who seems to get full marks on every test.
The sound of chairs scraping against the tiled floor echoed through the room as their teacher entered the class, holding a stock of papers. The noise died down instantly, everyone knew better than to disobey her, especially in Advanced Academic Writing.
"Settle down, everyone," she said firmly as her glasses arched down her nose, she shuffled the papers, a small smile forming on her lips "I have an announcement."
Claire sat up straighter in her seat, gripping her pen like a weapon. Announcements in this class always meant an opportunity to shine. Beside her, her notebook was already filled with color-coded notes.
Meanwhile, Ryan leaned back in his chair at the other side of the room, spinning his pen lazily between his fingers. He looked calm, as always, though a flicker of curiosity crossed his face.
“As you all know, the inter-school Academic Bowl is coming up next month,” the teacher announced “This year, we’re sending our top two students to represent San Andres High.”
The room buzzed with excitement, and Claire’s chest tightened. She knew exactly who the top two students were.
“As expected, our representatives will be…” The teacher paused dramatically, scanning the room. “Claire Torres and Ryan Mercado.”
“Ma’am,” she said, her voice steady but sharp, “are you sure there’s no mistake? I mean, I’d be happy to represent the school, but Ryan and I… we don’t exactly work well together.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Speak for yourself, Torres. I think we’d make a great team. You’d handle all the boring stuff, and I’d make sure we win.”
A ripple of laughter spread through the class, and Claire’s cheeks burned. She shot him a glare.
The teacher raised a hand to quiet the room. “You two are the best students we have, and you’ll work together whether you like it or not. The Academic Bowl is a team competition, and you’ll need to rely on each other.”
Ryan shrugged, still grinning. “Guess we’re stuck with each other, Torres.”
Claire clenched her jaw and forced a smile. “It’s Miss Torres to you.”
As the bell rang and the class started to pack up, Claire grabbed her bag, her mind racing. She was determined to win the competition, no matter what it took—even if it meant putting up with Ryan's smug face for an entire month.
On the other side of the room, Ryan watched her storm out, a spark of amusement in his eyes. This was going to be fun.
more chapters coming soon!! ♡
- aleisha
