The day of the project presentation finally arrived.
One group was already at the front of the class, presenting confidently, while Tate's group waited their turn. They were last on the list.
Tate's nerves were killing her.
She sat rigidly in her chair, fingers clenched in her lap, while Damien and Lexi stood at the front, calm as ever. Damien had his arms crossed casually, and Lexi was even smiling like she'd just won an award.
How are they not nervous? Tate thought, glancing between the two of them in disbelief.
She leaned slightly toward Martha. "How are you not nervous about the presentation?"
Martha leaned in and whispered back, "Because I know they'll ace it. Damien already promised us a reward if we do well, so he knows better than to mess up."
Tate blinked. "A reward?"
But before Martha could explain, Mr. Matthew called out, "Next group—Damien and Lexi."
Tate's heart jumped.
The two walked to the front of the room. Damien adjusted the mic like he'd done it a hundred times, and Lexi stood confidently beside him. They began to speak—clear, passionate, and surprisingly well-rehearsed.
Tate felt her breath catch as the presentation went on.
Charts. Data. Real stories. Solutions tailored to the school. They nailed every point.
When they finished nearly ten minutes later, the classroom erupted in applause. One by one, students rose from their seats—a standing ovation.
Tate stood too—stunned, proud, and honestly, a little in awe.
We did it, she thought. We actually did it.
Mr. Matthew smiled at them. "Well done. Everyone, you can check the announcement board after lunch to see your group scores."
Tate sat back down, her chest light for the first time in weeks. All the brainstorming, stress, and late meetings—it had all been worth it.
If they scored high, it would make a real difference in her overall mark this term.
And for once, she felt confident they had done something right.
"I think we're really going to score high," Tate said to Martha as they left the classroom.
"I think so too," Martha replied, then added quickly, "but let's wait for the scores before celebrating too much."
Tate nodded.
"We're having lunch with the group, by the way," Martha added. "To celebrate our efforts."
"Okay."
When the lunch bell rang, Martha turned to her. "Go ahead, I need to stop by the restroom. I'll meet you there."
Tate walked to the cafeteria alone. When she arrived, the group hadn't gotten there yet, so she picked a table and sat down, scrolling through her phone.
A few moments later, Damien slid into the seat beside her and placed a chocolate drink in front of her. "Hey."
Tate looked up. "Hey."
"I thought the others would be here already," he said, glancing around.
"They're on their way," she replied.
He smirked. "Won't you compliment me for acing the presentation?"
Tate raised an eyebrow. "You were okay."
"Okay?" he repeated, mock-offended.
"Yeah," she said, suppressing a smile.
He laughed. "I'll take it." Then he nodded toward the drink. "They were out of your drink in the cafeteria."
Tate blinked. "So how did you get it?"
"I ordered it from outside school," Damien replied casually.
"You shouldn't have," she said.
"It's nothing," he shrugged.
Before she could say more, she caught sight of Martha and the rest of the group walking toward them. Tate immediately leaned toward Damien and hissed, "Move over."
"Why?" he asked.
"Martha and the others are coming. I don't want anyone misunderstanding anything."
Damien raised an eyebrow. "No. I'm not sitting elsewhere. I don't think sitting close to you is going to make anyone misunderstand anything."
Before Tate could argue, Martha and the rest of the group reached the table.
"Hey," Martha said, her eyes lingering for a second on how close Tate and Damien were sitting.
"Hey," Lexi added brightly, sliding into the seat beside them.
Everyone began eating. Tate opened the chocolate drink Damien had gotten her and took a sip.
Martha's voice cut through the chatter. "That drink wasn't in stock today. I asked earlier, and they said they didn't even get a new supply. Where'd you get it from?"
Tate froze, drink halfway to her mouth.
Damien answered smoothly, "I got it for her."
Martha's eyebrows lifted. "Really?"
"Yeah," Damien continued. "I know she likes it, so I ordered it for her outside school."
Tate choked mid-sip and began coughing violently.
Damien immediately handed her water and gently rubbed her back. "Hey—breathe."
She subtly kicked his foot under the table. He got the message and pulled his hand away.
Everyone at the table was staring—including Martha.
An awkward silence followed.
Then Lexi, bless her timing, spoke up. "Damien, Martha mentioned earlier that you were giving us a reward…"
Tate silently thanked her for breaking the tension.
"Yeah," Damien replied, "I got us tickets to the new amusement park that just opened in Westville. For tomorrow."
Leo's eyes widened. "Those tickets are nearly impossible to get with how packed it's been."
Damien shrugged. "It wasn't hard to get."
Lexi beamed. "That's so cool! Thanks, Damien."
"You're welcome," he said with a small smile.
Tate blinked, surprised. She hadn't expected Damien to go that far. It would probably be fun, but the idea of actually being there made her stomach twist. She wasn't a fan of rides—never had been. The last time she went to an amusement park, she was younger, and she'd cried the whole time, begging her parents to take her home early.
"What time should we meet up?" Martha asked, already pulling out her phone.
"I don't think I'll be able to make it," Tate said.
Martha looked up. "Why?"
"I'm not the biggest fan of rides," Tate admitted. "They scare me. You guys go and have fun."
Damien looked at her. "I can get tickets to another place."
That earned him a few confused stares from the group.
Tate quickly replied, "That won't be necessary. You guys can go without me."
Damien looked disappointed, but before the moment could stretch too long, Lexi jumped in. "We can't go without you, Tate. You have to be there."
"Please come," Martha added, nudging her gently. "It won't be the same without you."
Leo chimed in, "Yeah, it's a group thing. Come on."
Tate sighed, glancing around at their eager faces. "Fine. I'll come. But I'm not getting on any rides."
"Deal," Lexi said quickly, and everyone nodded in agreement.
After lunch, they all made their way to the announcement board to check their presentation scores.
"Thirty-eight!" Leo shouted. "We got thirty-eight!"
They all erupted into cheers. Martha hugged Lexi, Lexi grabbed Leo, an
d Tate—caught up in the moment—turned and jumped excitedly into Damien's arms.
"We did it!" she laughed as he caught her.
Their hard work had really paid off.