The school day had finally ended, and with it, the noise and chaos Leni tried so hard to tune out.
She slipped into the library, hugging her notebook to her chest like a shield. It was her little escape—quiet, tucked away, the smell of old books grounding her when her head was spinning. And today, it was spinning. Her algebra exam tomorrow sat like a weight on her chest.
"Quadratic functions are a personal attack," she muttered under her breath, weaving between shelves.
She turned the corner into one of the back aisles—and walked straight into someone.
She stumbled, her notebook almost slipping from her arms.
"Whoa," a familiar voice said, steadying her by the shoulders.
Leni blinked up—and there he was again.
Marco.
Of course.
"Seriously?" she breathed, half a laugh, half a sigh. "Do you just... live in my blind spots now?"
He smirked, his dark eyes gleaming like he'd been waiting for this. "Not my fault you're walking around muttering equations like a mad scientist."
"I wasn't muttering equations," she grumbled, cheeks heating. "I was... talking to myself. About algebra. It's different."
"Hmm," he leaned closer, just a little. "Is it?"
She rolled her eyes and tried to step around him, but he mirrored her movement, blocking the path with the ease of someone who knew exactly how much space he took up.
"Marco," she warned, though her voice held no weight—just the kind of quiet resistance that always gave way to something softer.
He tilted his head. "So, what's got you so worked up? Test anxiety?"
"Something like that," she mumbled, hugging her notebook tighter. "I just need to focus."
He didn't move.
Instead, he looked at her like he was memorizing the shape of her, eyes briefly dropping to her notebook, then back to her face.
"You could study with me," he offered, voice low and smooth. "I'm not terrible at algebra."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're... offering to tutor me?"
"No," he said, flashing that lazy grin that made her stomach twist, "I'm offering to sit next to you while you pretend I'm not a distraction."
Leni stared at him for a beat too long before shaking her head. "You really don't make any sense."
"Neither do quadratic functions," he said, leaning in so his voice brushed her ear. "But you're gonna figure them both out."
He stepped back at last, like giving her space was his choice.
"Table in the back," he said, nodding in that direction. "I'll be there. Unless you'd rather I keep bumping into you all day."
He didn't wait for her answer. He just walked off, casually, confidently—leaving her to decide if she'd follow.
Spoiler: she did.