Hallways and Heartbeats

Chapter 3

Hallways & Heartbeats

Chapter 3 — “Mr. Perfect”

Amy arrived in Science Lab clutching her notebook like a shield. It was the one class she hadn’t yet found her footing in, and today the benches were rearranged into pairs. Everyone seemed to have claimed their partners already.

“Seat’s open,” said a voice to her right.

She looked up to see a boy she didn’t recognize. Tall, dark blond hair, Ridgeway basketball hoodie. His smile was easy and polite, the kind that didn’t need an audience.

“I’m Ethan,” he said, offering his hand like they were at a job interview, not a high-school lab.

“Amy,” she replied, shaking it nervously.

He chuckled. “First week’s rough. Don’t worry, this class isn’t as scary as it looks.”

Amy slid onto the stool next to him. He already had the lab equipment neatly arranged and a textbook open to the correct page. His handwriting on the data sheet looked like it belonged in a font catalogue.

“Wow,” she murmured, “you’re organized.”

He grinned. “Basketball makes you efficient. You’ve got to squeeze homework between practices.”

At that moment, the door banged open. Jayden strolled in late, hair windswept, earbuds still in, balancing a stack of books and a coffee cup he absolutely wasn’t supposed to have.

“Well, well,” Jayden drawled loud enough for half the class to hear. “Looks like our resident genius has upgraded her lab partner.”

Amy flushed. “Jayden—”

“Relax, I’m kidding.” Jayden dropped into a back seat a few rows away and spun his pen between his fingers like a magician’s wand. But his eyes flicked to Ethan and back to Amy, unreadable.

The teacher launched into the experiment. Amy and Ethan worked smoothly, measuring chemicals, recording data. Ethan explained each step without making her feel dumb. She found herself laughing once when he accidentally got a drop of blue solution on his nose.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Jayden watching. His usual lopsided grin was gone; he tapped his pen against the desk in a slow rhythm like a ticking clock.

When the bell rang, Ethan packed up quickly. “Hey, if you ever need help reviewing for the midterm, I’ve got notes from last semester. I can text them to you.”

“That’d be great,” Amy said before she could stop herself.

Jayden appeared at her side out of nowhere. “Wow, Mr. Perfect gives out free tutoring? How generous.”

Ethan raised his brows, still smiling. “Just trying to help.”

Jayden’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “She already has a study buddy. Me.”

Amy tried to diffuse the tension. “It’s just notes, Jayden.”

“Sure,” he said lightly, but his hand clenched around the strap of his bag.

Ethan gave her a small wave. “See you tomorrow, Amy.” He walked off down the hall, greeting other students like he’d been there forever.

Amy turned to Jayden. “What was that about?”

“Nothing.” He slung his bag over his shoulder, his grin snapping back into place. “Just making sure you don’t forget about your original partner-in-crime.”

He walked off before she could answer, leaving her in the doorway with a fluttery stomach. She wasn’t sure if the flutter was from Ethan’s easy smile…or Jayden’s sudden scowl.