The first time I noticed her, she was arguing with the lecturer.
"Sir, that is not what the handout said," she insisted, pointing at the paper like she was ready to fight for it.
The whole class burst into laughter, but she didn't laugh. She just stood there confidently with her arms folded, waiting for the lecturer to check the handout again.
I leaned slightly closer and whispered, "You know you're brave for challenging him like that."
She turned to look at me slowly, her eyebrows raised. "Or maybe," she said with a small smirk, "you're just scared to talk."
I blinked, okay… I didn't see that coming. That was the first time she spoke to me, and strangely, I liked it.
After the lecture ended, I thought that was the last time we would talk, but I was wrong.
The next morning, I walked into class like I always did.... quietly, hoping to sit through the lecture peacefully, but when I got to my usual seat… she was already there.
Sitting comfortably, like she owned the place. She looked up when she saw me.
"Oh good," she said. "You're here."
I frowned slightly. "Why are you sitting here?"
She shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"You look like someone who understands things quickly," she said casually. "So I'll copy your notes."
I stared at her for a few seconds "Wow," I said slowly. "So I'm just your academic helper now?"
She smiled innocently "Don't worry. I'll reward you."
"With what?"
She leaned a little closer, lowering her voice playfully "You'll see."
Before I could reply, the lecturer walked in and the class became quiet and halfway through the lecture, I felt a small tap on my arm. I looked down and my pen was gone.
I turned to her and saw her writing with it.
I whispered, "That's my pen."
She didn't even look up.
"I know."
"Then give it back."
"In a minute."
I sighed. This girl was unbelievable, but for some reason… i didn't mind, and that was how everything started.
Not with love, not with confessions but with just small conversations, shared snacks, stolen pens and the strange girl who suddenly decided that the seat beside me belonged to her.
I thought it was just a one day thing, maybe she just needed notes for that lecture, but the next day, she was there again, same seat, same calm expression and same confidence like she had reserved the place.
She looked up the moment I dropped my bag on the table.
"You're late today," she said casually.
I blinked. "I'm two minutes early."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Still late."
I sighed and sat down. "Why are you still sitting here?"
She tapped her pen on the table. "Because your notes are neat."
"That's not a good reason."
"It's a perfect reason."
I looked at her for a few seconds before opening my notebook and she leaned slightly toward me.
"By the way," she said, "your handwriting is annoyingly perfect."
"Thank you… I think."
"It's actually unfair," she continued. "Now my notes will look ugly beside yours."
I chuckled softly and i guess that was the first time she heard me laugh, she looked at me like she had just discovered something interesting.
"Oh," she said.
"What?"
"You can actually laugh."
I raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
"I thought you were one of those serious people who only talk during exams."
I shook my head. "You talk too much."
She smiled proudly. "I've been told that before."
The lecturer walked into class and everyone settled down, and halfway through the lecture, she nudged my arm again and I ignored it then came another nudge and i turned slightly.
"What?"
"I'm bored," she whispered.
"Then listen to the lecture."
She sighed dramatically. "You're not fun."
"I'm here to study."
She stared at me for a second before slowly reaching over and sliding my pen away again and i immediately noticed.
"You just took my pen."
"Yes."
"Why?"
She shrugged. "Because you weren't entertaining me."
I stared at her in disbelief. "You're impossible."
She smiled again. "But you're still talking to me."
I didn't reply, but a small smile escaped anyway.
A few minutes later, she quietly pushed the pen back toward me.
"For the record," she whispered, "I like this seat."
I looked at her. "Why?"
She thought for a moment, then she smiled softly.
"Because you're interesting."
I scoffed. "You don't even know me."
She leaned back in her chair. "I will."
And for some reason.... i had a feeling she actually meant it.
The lecture continued, but she surprisingly stayed quiet for the next fifteen minutes and that alone was suspicious.
Every now and then, I could feel her eyes shift toward my notebook as I wrote, not in a sneaky way… more like she wasn't even trying to hide it.
Finally, she leaned a little closer. "Can I see?"
I didn't look up. "You're already seeing."
"No, I mean properly."
I sighed and pushed my notebook slightly toward her side of the table.
Her face lit up immediately like someone who had just been handed free food.
"Wow," she whispered. "You even draw lines and arrows."
"That's how notes work."
"Not my notes."
I glanced at the page she was writing on.
Her handwriting was… chaotic. Words tilted in different directions, arrows pointing to random places, and at least three words scratched out so hard the paper looked tired.
"You're right," I said slowly. "Your notes are a disaster."
She gasped quietly and looked at me like I had committed a crime. "Excuse me?"
I shrugged. "You said it yourself."
She stared at my notebook again, then she copied two full lines before whispering, "This is why I sit here."
I shook my head. "You're unbelievable."
"And yet," she said, "you still moved your notebook closer."
I paused, she wasn't wrong amd before I could reply, the lecturer suddenly called out a question.
"Can anyone explain the concept on the board?"
The room went quiet, no one volunteered. Then I felt a gentle elbow hit my side and i turned and realized she was pointing at me.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
"You know the answer."
"So?"
"So raise your hand."
I stared at her like she had lost her mind.
"Why would I do that?"
She grinned. "Because you're smart."
"That's not a good reason."
Before I could stop her, her hand suddenly shot into the air, my eyes widened.
"Sir," she said confidently, "he knows the answer."
The entire class turned to look at me and i froze.
The lecturer nodded toward me. "Alright then. Let's hear it."
I slowly stood up, trying not to glare at the girl beside me, she sat there smiling like she had just done something amazing.
I cleared my throat and explained the concept, it wasn't difficult, but speaking in front of the whole class wasn't exactly my favorite activity.
When I finished, the lecturer nodded approvingly. "Good explanation."
I sat down quickly and the moment I did, I leaned toward her. "You set me up."
She covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. "I helped you shine."
"That's not helping."
"It is," she insisted. "Now everyone knows you're smart."
"I didn't need everyone to know."
She tilted her head. "Well… I wanted to know." She said that and i blinked.
That answer caught me off guard, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she gently tapped my notebook again.
"Don't worry," she said softly. "I'll repay you for the notes."
"How?"
She smiled like she had been waiting for that question. "After class," she said, "I'll buy you snacks."
I looked at her suspiciously. "You don't look like someone who buys snacks for people."
She placed a hand dramatically over her chest.
"That's very offensive."
"You literally stole my pen twice today."
"That's different."
"How?"
She leaned slightly closer again. "Because I like you." And my brain paused, then she quickly added.... "As a seat partner."
I exhaled.
"Of course."
She laughed quietly, the bell rang a few minutes later, signaling the end of the lecture, students began packing their bags and leaving the room.
I closed my notebook and stood up, before I could take two steps toward the door, her voice followed me.
"Hey." I turned.
She was already beside me, bag hanging loosely over her shoulder.
"What?"
"You're not running away, are you?"
"I'm going home."
She shook her head.
"Nope."
"What do you mean nope?"
"You forgot."
"Forgot what?"
She crossed her arms proudly.
"I promised you snacks."
I stared at her for a moment. "You were serious?"
"Very serious."
I sighed, this girl was trouble, but somehow…, walking away didn't feel like the right option.
So instead, I said the one thing I didn't expect to say. " Fine."
Her smile immediately widened. "Great."
Then she started walking ahead confidently before looking back at me.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
And just like that, the strange girl who stole my pen, my notes and my quiet seat in class was now dragging me somewhere after lecture, and strangely enough, i didn't mind following her.