In his crossfire

CHAPTER FOUR:*Pairing Tensions*

The teacher called out names for the next group project. Amara’s heart skipped a beat when she heard: “Amara and Zayne.”

She looked up and caught Eli’s eyes from across the room. His smile was gone. Instead, a flicker of something darker — jealousy, maybe?

Zayne didn’t even glance at Eli. He simply stood, gathered his things, and walked toward Amara with that same quiet confidence.

As they settled at their table, Eli came closer, leaning casually near Amara. “Looks like you’ve got the mysterious type on your team. Lucky you.”

Amara smiled politely but didn’t respond. Eli’s gaze hardened.

Zayne’s eyes met Eli’s for a brief moment — cold and unreadable.

The air between the three was charged. Amara felt caught in the middle, torn between Eli’s easy charm and Zayne’s silent intensity.

The project had just begun, but the real challenge was already here.

Zayne flipped through the project notes, not bothering to look up. “Let’s just get this done. I’ll take research and data. You handle the write-up and presentation.”

Amara leaned back, crossing her arms. “You don’t waste time, huh?”

He finally looked at her, cold eyes narrowing. “No point. Deadlines don’t care if you’re in a good mood or not.”

She smirked, testing the waters. “Guess you’re not the ‘let’s be friends’ type”

Zayne’s jaw twitched slightly, almost like a half-smile, but he kept his voice low and serious. “Friends don’t finish this project for me.”

Amara laughed softly, but there was a flicker of respect. “Alright then, Mr. Business. What’s the timeline?”

He tapped the table. “Research done by Wednesday. Drafts Thursday. Final ready Friday. No excuses.”

She nodded, feeling the tension but also the weird pull he had. “Sounds like a plan. But you’re tough to read, and uh,do you ever just, take a break ?,or is this your usual?"

Zayne shrugged, looking away. “That’s the idea. You don’t want to know the real me, besides I don't have the luxury of unnecessary breaks "

Amara nodded, sensing there was more beneath his tough exterior but not pressing.

Amara met his gaze again, challenge in her own eyes. “Maybe I do want to know the real you , and I'm really curious to figure out the kind of person you are "

He smirked briefly, then his face hardened. “Don’t.”

Amara felt the weight of his words.The mysterious guy was serious _and maybe not someone to mess with.

---

Amara sat on a bench outside the school, flipping through her notes but barely reading. Her mind kept drifting back to Zayne — the quiet, unreadable guy who barely spoke but seemed to watch everything.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Lila: *You okay? You looked off in class.*

Amara smiled and typed back: *It’s that lab partner… Zayne. He’s so mysterious, I barely got a word from him.*

Lila replied instantly: *Sounds like trouble. Or maybe just the quiet type?*

Before Amara could answer, Eli appeared beside her, grinning. “Zayne? Yeah, he’s one of those guys you don’t mess with. Keeps to himself.”

Amara looked up, curious but cautious. “And you?”

“Me? I’m more of the friendly type,” Eli said with a wink.

Amara forced a smile but kept her guard up. Something about Eli felt… off.

She was trying so hard to dismiss the weird feeling she gets from Eli but the feeling wouldn't just go away.