Ch-2 Group Project
The next morning, Maya walked into class with one goal—
Survive sitting next to Ayan.
She placed her bag down and glanced at him. As usual, he was already there, reading a book. Perfect posture. Calm face. No expression.
Does he ever smile? she wondered.
Before she could say anything, the teacher entered.
"Class, for your midterm evaluation, you will be doing a pair project."
The room buzzed with excitement.
"You will work with your seat partner."
Maya slowly turned her head toward Ayan.
He didn't react.
Of course.
The teacher continued, "The topic is 'The Impact of Social Media on Teenagers.' You have two weeks. Presentation and written report both are required."
Two. Weeks.
Maya liked projects.
She just didn't like the fact that her partner was a human ice wall.
After class, she took a deep breath and decided to try.
"So…" she began, turning slightly toward him. "We should probably plan the project."
Ayan closed his book calmly. "I'll handle the research."
"Oh." Maya blinked. "Okay… then I can design the slides?"
"Fine."
That was it.
No discussion. No teamwork vibe. Just short answers.
Maya frowned. "You know… we're supposed to work together."
"I work better alone," he replied.
His tone wasn't rude. Just… distant.
Maya crossed her arms. "Well, I don't. So you're going to have to work with me."
For the first time, Ayan looked directly at her.
His eyes were sharp. Observing.
"You talk a lot," he said.
Maya's mouth fell open. "Excuse me?"
But before she could argue more, the bell rang.
As students rushed out, Maya gathered her things quickly. In her hurry, her notebook slipped from her hand.
Papers scattered across the floor.
She knelt down, embarrassed.
Suddenly, another hand reached down to help.
Ayan.
He silently picked up the papers and handed them to her.
"Be careful," he said quietly.
Their fingers brushed for a second.
Maya felt something strange. A tiny spark she couldn't explain.
"Thank you," she murmured.
He nodded once and walked away.
Maya watched him leave, confused.
He wasn't mean.
He wasn't exactly nice either.
But there was something about him—
Something she couldn't quite understand yet.
And for the first time..
She was curious.