Raine stayed awake until midnight, researching the presentation alone while her other groupmates did nothing. The stress was hitting her hard. Her eyes were heavy, dark circles forming underneath, and her eyelids kept drooping as she struggled to stay afloat. She glanced at the window, seeing nothing but the void of the night. It was almost 1:20 AM. Groaning in exhaustion, she decided to call the only groupmate who actually helped. She tapped a name in her contacts and waited.
"Hello, Sandra? I'm exhausted... can you do the rest?" she mumbled into the phone. She noticed the person on the other end didn't say anything or make a sound. Frustrated, Raine ended the call, thinking it was just a weird glitch. She sighed, slammed her laptop shut, and threw herself onto her bed, falling into a deep sleep the second her head hit the pillow.
The next morning, Raine rushed through her routine. She brushed her teeth, took a cold shower to wake herself up, and pulled on her uniform. Downstairs, she cooked scrambled eggs and pancakes, scrolling through social media while she ate. Once finished, she pulled on her socks and shoes and headed out. As she walked, she kept her headphones on, letting the music keep her mind from drifting.
At 8:22 AM, Raine arrived in her classroom. She sat down, took off her headphones, and checked her phone.
"Hey. Here's the presentation you asked for. You said you were tired."
Raine froze at the voice behind her. She looked back to see Nick standing there with his usual bored expression.
"What? What do you mean my presentation? I asked Sandra to do that," Raine said, raising an eyebrow in total confusion.
"You called me. You asked me for a favor at midnight," Nick said.
Raine's heart dropped. She scrambled to check her call logs, her thoughts racing back to the night before. Her stomach did a flip when she saw the truth: she had accidentally tapped Nick's name instead of Sandra's.
"Shit..." she muttered under her breath.
"What's wrong? If you don't want it, I'll take it back," Nick teased, enjoying her panic.
"No! I'll take it," she said quickly, grabbing the file. "Um... thanks. By the way."
"My pleasure," Nick smirked, leaning in a little closer. "Next time, just tell me if you're having a hard time. It's hard to outdo me if you're too tired to function." He gave her one last mocking look before heading to his seat.
Raine buried her face in her hands, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Fuck... I look so dumb," she hissed to herself. "How am I supposed to beat his arrogant ass if I'm the one asking him for help? Urgh! This is so embarrassing!"
In the middle of her panic, the teacher arrived, wearing a strict and serious expression. Raine's heart pounded as if it wanted to escape her chest. A shiver ran down her spine and her body turned cold, she was beyond nervous. The teacher placed her laptop on the table and turned to the class with a sharp gaze.
"The presentations start today. No one should tell me they aren't finished. I will be grading your reports strictly. I expect perfection, flawless delivery, and nothing but your best work." The teacher sat down and signaled for the first group to begin.
Raine scrambled to study the documents Nick had given her. Her groupmates looked completely unprepared, leaving her to shoulder the stress alone. Time seemed to move at double speed. Soon, it was Nick's turn. He and his group presented their report flawlessly, his voice calm and confident.
Then, it was Raine's turn. She stood up with her unhelpful groupmates and walked to the front.
"Um... Good day, everyone. We're here to present our research based on the lesson Ma'am discussed," Raine began. She pushed through the explanation while her groupmates stumbled through the teacher's follow-up questions.
From his seat, Nick watched her. He smirked, finding her obvious awkwardness entertaining. After what felt like an eternity, the presentation ended. Raine slumped back into her seat and let out a long, shaky sigh of relief.
"God... thank goodness I survived that," she muttered to herself, trying to calm her heart even though her face was still burning.
Nick glanced at her while the teacher lectured. He saw her cheeks were still flushed a deep pink and noticed the way she was fidgeting with her fingers under the desk. His smirk widened as he studied her.
"Cute," he muttered to himself, finally turning his attention back to the front of the room.