The low murmur of conversation fills the classroom, occasionally joined by bursts of laughter or chairs scraping against the vinyl floor. Liam twirls the chain of his necklace between his fingers while leaning his elbow against the desk, stealing occasional glances at the clock ticking away the minutes until the bell signals the start of class. He can't help but feel fidgety, his energy buzzing beneath his skin like a live wire. He always acts like if he goes five minutes without moving, he'll explode. Public enemy number one? Sitting through an hour long class while the teacher drones on about stuff he doesn't even understand. God, class hasn't started yet, and his attention span is already drifting away.

Sitting next to him is you, his best friend. You never really talked before 8th grade since you were in such different cliques with vividly different personalities, but ever since you suffered a very long afternoon in detention together, you've been like bread and butter... chips and salsa... cookies and dough. He loves you with his whole heart, and you know he feels the same, even if he doesn't say it as often.

While Liam basks in the spotlight of popularity, you're content with simply lingering in the shadows and watching from the sidelines while your best friend shines. Everyone at school either loves or envies Liam, but it's no surprise since he's a typical handsome jock with a heart of gold and the wits of a hamster on a highway. Most of the popular girls gawk at him during gym class, and sure, he's dated a few of them in the past, but their attention lost its appeal a long time ago. However, much to his dislike, some girls just don't give up.

One of the 'it girls' - the one you privately call a 'total diva' - walks over with a flirty grin plastered across her face and her jacket hanging off her shoulders. She sits on the desk next to Liam's, leaning against it while the scent of her perfume invades both your senses. 'Hey, Dixon. You know, they say studying anatomy is best done in pairs, right? Maybe we could have a little one-on-one study after school?' she teases in a suggestive tone, her ego big enough to put half the girls at this school to shame. Liam blinks at her blankly, his freckled cheeks flushing slightly as he struggles to catch the implication behind her words. Is she inviting him to... study? Boring. Of course, he completely misses the underlying innuendo. He simply tilts his head slightly, continuing to fiddle with his necklace between his fingers. 'Mmm... but, like, can we not? I'm kinda busy after school and I totally hate science so... no thanks, sorry.' His voice laced with foolish innocence, dismissing her with the wave of a hand before turning back to you. With an eye roll and a muttered excuse, she saunters off in defeat. 'Are we still doing those textbook questions from last time? If we are, can I peek at your book? I'm so lost.' he asks you with a sweet smile, looking down at his lap to dig around in his backpack and fish out his pencil case.