Our Secret Diary

Our Secret Diary–The Partner I Never Expected

CHAPTER FOUR

"Dear Diary,"

"Sometimes you ask for something so quietly that you almost convince yourself you never wanted it.

You tell yourself it doesn't matter.

You tell yourself that whatever happens will be fine.

And then, suddenly, the answer is placed right in front of you.

That's when you realize you were hoping after all.

Today, I learned that some wishes are more dangerous when they come true."

Professor Harris adjusted the papers in her hands and looked around the lecture hall.

"I'll begin with the first pair."

Several students immediately sat straighter.

Lena felt Maya's fingers close around her wrist beneath the desk.

"Why are you holding me?" Lena whispered.

"Because I'm nervous."

"You're making me nervous."

"Good. We're suffering together."

Chloe covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

Professor Harris began reading the names.

"Daniel Cooper and Olivia Sanders."

A few students clapped.

Daniel gave Olivia a nervous smile while she nodded politely.

"Ryan Mitchell and Amelia Scott."

Another pair.

Then another.

Names continued filling the room.

Lena tried to listen, but her heartbeat seemed louder than the lecturer's voice.

She kept telling herself it didn't matter.

Anyone would be fine.

She could work with anyone.

It was only an assignment.

Yet every time Professor Harris paused between names, Lena found herself holding her breath.

Across the room, Ethan sat quietly beside Noah.

Noah leaned toward him.

"You're nervous."

"I'm not."

"You are."

Ethan gave him a warning look.

Noah smiled.

"Relax. It's only a project."

"I know."

But Ethan's eyes remained fixed on Professor Harris.

He wasn't nervous about the assignment.

He was nervous about one possibility.

One name.

One person.

He hadn't allowed himself to hope.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

Professor Harris continued.

"Jason Reed and Chloe Bennett."

Jason turned around immediately.

Chloe blinked in surprise before smiling.

"Looks like we're partners."

Jason grinned.

"You're going to regret this."

"I probably will."

The class laughed.

Maya nudged Lena.

"She's gone."

"Don't say that."

"At least Chloe got someone funny."

Lena smiled.

"Jason is funny."

"Exactly."

Professor Harris glanced at the next line.

"The next pair..."

The room became quieter.

Lena's fingers slowly tightened around her pen.

Professor Harris looked down at the paper.

"Lena Brooks..."

Everything inside Lena seemed to stop.

Maya's eyes widened.

Chloe immediately turned toward her.

Lena barely heard the whispers beginning around the room.

Professor Harris continued.

"...and Ethan Carter."

For several seconds, Lena couldn't move.

She stared at the front of the classroom as though she had somehow misheard.

Ethan Carter.

Her partner.

The boy whose name had appeared in countless pages of her diary.

The boy she had spent months convincing herself she would never have the courage to speak to.

Her partner.

Maya's mouth fell open.

"Oh my goodness."

Lena turned toward her.

"Don't."

"I didn't say anything."

"Your face did."

Maya pressed her lips together, desperately trying not to laugh.

Across the room, Noah slowly turned toward Ethan.

His grin appeared immediately.

Ethan noticed.

"Don't."

"I haven't said anything."

"You don't have to."

Noah laughed quietly.

"Congratulations, Carter."

Ethan ignored him.

His attention had already shifted toward Lena.

She was looking down at her notebook, apparently very interested in a page she had already filled with notes.

He couldn't help smiling.

Professor Harris continued reading the remaining names, but neither of them paid much attention.

Lena's thoughts were racing.

How was she supposed to work with him?

What would she say?

What if she embarrassed herself?

What if he thought she was boring?

What if he didn't want to work with her?

She swallowed nervously.

Maya leaned closer.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I didn't."

"You saw Ethan."

"That's worse."

Maya almost laughed out loud.

Lena gave her a warning look.

"Please stop."

"Okay, okay."

But Maya's smile remained.

At the front of the room, Professor Harris finally finished announcing the pairs.

"Now that everyone knows their partners, I'll explain the assignment."

Students settled down.

"You will have six weeks to complete a short fictional story between eight and ten thousand words."

Several students groaned.

Professor Harris smiled.

"And yes, I heard that."

The laughter returned.

"You will write the story together. I expect equal contribution from both partners. I will be evaluating not only the final story but also your ability to collaborate."

Lena carefully wrote down the deadline.

Six weeks.

That was enough time.

Probably.

Professor Harris continued explaining the requirements, but Lena found herself struggling to concentrate.

She could feel the awareness of someone sitting across the room.

She didn't need to look to know who it was.

Then she made the mistake of looking.

Their eyes met.

For one brief second...

Neither moved.

Ethan looked away first.

Lena immediately lowered her eyes.

Her heart was beating far too quickly.

She silently scolded herself.

It was just eye contact.

Nothing more.

It shouldn't matter.

And yet...

It did.

When the lecture finally ended, chairs scraped against the floor as students gathered their belongings.

Everyone immediately began finding their partners.

Lena packed her books slowly.

She wasn't sure whether she should wait for Ethan or leave.

She decided leaving would be easier.

She had just lifted her backpack when a voice stopped her.

"Lena?"

She froze.

She turned.

Ethan stood a few feet away.

For the first time...

They were actually speaking to each other.

Up close, he looked different.

Less like the famous boy everyone talked about.

More like an ordinary student who happened to have a kind smile.

"Hi," he said.

Lena swallowed.

"Hi."

There was an awkward pause.

Neither seemed to know what to say next.

Ethan glanced at the books in her arms.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Yes."

"About the assignment..."

"Oh."

She nodded quickly.

"Yes, of course."

"I was thinking we could meet at the library tomorrow."

Lena blinked.

"Tomorrow?"

"If you're free."

"I am."

She immediately regretted answering so quickly.

Ethan smiled.

"Great."

Another silence.

Then he added,

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

He turned to leave.

Lena watched him walk away.

Maya appeared beside her almost instantly.

"OH."

Lena jumped.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough."

"Maya..."

"You spoke to him."

"It was about the assignment."

"You spoke to him."

"Yes."

"Your first real conversation."

"Yes."

Maya grabbed her shoulders.

"And he asked you to meet him at the library."

Lena laughed nervously.

"Because of the assignment."

"Of course."

"That's all."

"Of course."

Lena narrowed her eyes.

"Why do you keep saying it like that?"

"Because I believe you."

"You don't."

"I absolutely don't."

Chloe joined them, smiling.

"I think you two will make a good team."

Lena looked at her.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Chloe shrugged.

"I don't know. You both seem serious about writing."

Lena smiled faintly.

Maybe Chloe was right.

Maybe this really was nothing more than a school project.

Maybe she was making it more important than it actually was.

She adjusted her backpack and headed toward the door with her friends.

Behind them, Ethan stood near the hallway with Noah.

"You actually did it," Noah said.

"Did what?"

"You talked to her."

Ethan smiled.

"She's my partner."

"Exactly."

Noah shook his head.

"I've never seen someone become this happy over a writing assignment."

Ethan laughed.

"You're reading too much into it."

"Am I?"

Ethan didn't answer.

His eyes followed Lena until she disappeared around the corner.

For a moment, the smile remained on his face.

Then he looked down at the notebook tucked beneath his arm.

Inside it was a list he had written earlier that morning.

Three possible story ideas.

A rough schedule.

And one sentence he had written without thinking:

Maybe this semester won't be so bad after all.

He closed the notebook.

Neither he nor Lena knew it yet, but their six-week assignment was about to become the beginning of something neither of them had planned for.

Something that would eventually make the pages of two separate diaries tell the same story.