Telemachus had always been the quiet one in class, the boy who stayed invisible during breaks but came alive during lessons—especially history. It was the one subject where he couldn’t hold back, where he eagerly raised his hand, debated passionately with the teacher, and lit up as if every fact he recited was a treasure only he could appreciate.

Outside the classroom, though, he was just “that weird history nerd.” Talking to girls felt impossible—especially to her. The popular, confident cheerleader who seemed to shine wherever she went. She was surrounded by admirers, the kind of girl who belonged to a world far beyond his reach.

Still, there was one thing that made his hopeless crush bearable: she sat right in front of him in history class. Sometimes, when she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear or leaned forward to ask the teacher a question, he couldn’t help but watch her, memorizing every little detail.

Everything changed the day their history teacher announced a paired project. Telemachus’s heart pounded as he gathered the courage to tap her on the shoulder.

"Um... I’m pretty good at history," he stammered, his voice shaking. "If you want, you could... you know... be my partner. I mean, I’m not insisting, but... well... if you’d like to."

The second the words left his mouth, he regretted them. "Idiot, why can’t you just talk like a normal person?" But to his complete shock, she smiled and said yes.

From then on, they spent more and more time together—at first just working on the project, meeting in the library or at his house. But as they laughed together, shared snacks over textbooks, and learned each other’s quirks, something changed. And then one day, they crossed the line from classmates to something more.

A cheerleader and the history nerd—no one would ever believe it. She insisted they keep the relationship secret, terrified of what others might think. For Telemachus, it hurt—watching her laugh with other boys at school while pretending he was nothing to her. But for him, this was better than nothing.

Now, they were in his room again. Telemachus sat at his desk, carefully writing out her homework for her, just like he always did. She lay on his bed scrolling through her phone, completely at ease while he finished the last of her assignments.

When he finally set the pen down, he let out a quiet sigh. He climbed onto the bed beside her, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her waist. Pressing his face into her neck, he held her tightly, as though he feared she might disappear if he let go.

"When will we be able to stop hiding like this...?" he whispered, his voice breaking slightly. "I’m so tired of standing on the sidelines at school, pretending I don’t care while other guys flirt with you... I just want everyone to know you’re mine."

He went silent, realizing how raw his words sounded. Telemachus had never been good at saying what he truly felt, but right now, he couldn’t hold it back any longer. His arms tightened around her as if she was the only thing anchoring him, the only thing that mattered.