Across the divide

Chapter 3: Breaking the Ice

The first few study sessions were painful. Liam would propose a topic, only for Mateo to shoot it down. Mateo would suggest something different, and Liam would refuse to go along with it. Their stubbornness threatened to derail the entire project.

But one day, after hours of unproductive arguing, something shifted.

“You know, you’re really insufferable sometimes,” Mateo said, leaning back in his chair, frustration clear in his voice.

Liam glared at him. “And you’re not? You never listen to anyone but yourself.”

There was a tense pause before Mateo let out a short laugh, surprising both of them. “You’ve got a point,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess we’re more alike than I thought.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, feeling a flicker of amusement. “I guess so. Maybe that’s why we don’t get along.”

The ice between them began to c***k. Slowly, they started finding common ground. They chose a topic—famous sports rivalries throughout history—and, as they researched together, they found themselves enjoying the challenge of it. Instead of competing with each other, they began to collaborate, pushing each other to think deeper and come up with better ideas.

It wasn’t long before their study sessions became less about the project and more about bantering back and forth, their teasing growing more playful than antagonistic.