Having traded glances and promises with Jack earlier, Sarah felt a strange sense of satisfaction. It was as if some cosmic force had granted her wish, enabling her to rewrite parts of her past.

When the teacher walked away, she released Jack’s sleeve, saying, “Thanks in advance.”

Jack glanced down at her delicate wrist and uttered casually, “No worries.”

“I should go inside now,” she added, turning away.

“Wait,” Jack called after her, his voice unexpectedly soft, “Have you had breakfast?”

Sarah paused, a hint of surprise on her face, followed by an exaggerated pout. “Not yet.”

Jack’s brows furrowed slightly. “Follow me.”

Without protest, Sarah trailed behind him to his desk. Jack rummaged through his drawer, retrieving a bottle of milk and offering it to her. “Here, it’s something to hold you over.”

Recognizing the familiar brand as one she frequently drank, Sarah accepted the milk gratefully, lightly brushing her fingers against his as she did so. “Thank you,” she said, before heading back to her seat, savoring the little thrill.

As Sarah drank the milk, she mused internally about how delightful it was to flirt with a classmate. Just then, Holly, catching the scent of her breakfast, leaned in inquisitively, “Got anything good in there?”

“Shh!” Sarah cautioned with a finger to her lips, discreetly passing Holly one of the sandwiches her housekeeper had prepared, “It's yours.”

Every Friday afternoon, Mr. Smith, their teacher, would hold a class meeting. This time, he had news to share.

“We’re switching seats again,” Mr. Smith announced. “But unlike before, where we simply shifted rows, this time we’re mixing things up entirely. The idea is to respect everyone’s preferences, giving consideration to mutual learning and friendly competition as the basis for the shuffle.”

“You can even mention if there’s someone specific you’d like to sit with,” Mr. Smith added, a hint of amusement in his smile, “Though I can't guarantee we’ll accommodate.”

A brave student raised their hand, fearlessly asking, “Can we pair up with someone of the opposite sex?”

Mr. Smith was known for his easy-going nature, and just like that, the room burst into chatter.

“Sure,” he confirmed.

With that, the class was abuzz with excitement, someone even whistling in delight.

“Alright, alright, settle down,” Mr. Smith directed. “Everyone, tear a piece of paper and write your name in the corner. In the center, jot down the person you'd like to partner with.”

As the class eagerly began scribbling, Mr. Smith reminded them, “Pick someone for academic growth, not a secret crush.”

Laughter bubbled quietly from the seated students.

Holly, having seen Sarah quickly craft her note, teased with self-assurance, “So, I'm your choice, right?”

Sarah unfolded the paper just enough for Holly to peek, and Holly almost shrieked, “Sarah! You're unbelievable!”

Folding the paper back, Sarah regarded Holly with a mischievous smile, “I like him.”

Holly was stupefied. “What?”

“And since you're interested in Tyler, why not mix things up? We can split them—one each.”

“...How did you know?!”

“I’ve got a time-traveler’s insight. There’s nothing I don’t know about you.”

Sarah’s tone was half-teasing, prompting Holly to roll her eyes in disbelief and re-scribe Tyler’s name on a fresh note.

Once everyone had folded their notes, the designated student collected them. Sarah subtly slipped hers into Jack’s hand, locking eyes with him in a silent exchange before letting go.

Jack, his heart inexplicably quickened by the encounter, averted his gaze and continued to pass the paper forward.

Indifferent to his hurried demeanor, Sarah sat back down and began working through a homework sheet.

With all the notes gathered, Mr. Smith concluded, “I’ll sort through these in my office later. If two people both choose each other, they’ll sit together. If not, I’ll rely on your overall preferences or just assign based on height.”

“The last period is my math class, so we’ll make time for the new seating arrangements then. Let's go over yesterday’s quiz now.”

Later, Sarah found herself summoned to Mr. Smith's office.

Upon arrival, she saw him preparing his thermos. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Come in, take a seat.”

Next to Mr. Smith’s desk was a permanent chair reserved for student meetings, with Mr. Smith insisting that he preferred them to sit given he stood all day in class.

Settling into the chair, Sarah listened as Mr. Smith began, “Sarah, your paper indicates you chose Jack, correct?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Well, there’s a slight issue,” Mr. Smith began, though his tone was far from serious, “Several others picked him, too.”

Sarah chuckled lightly, “And Jack hasn’t picked anyone?”

“No, he didn’t submit a name.”

This tidbit caught Sarah off guard—she’d expected him to write down another guy at worst.

Mr. Smith sighed. “So, tell me, Sarah, why did you choose him?”

After a brief pondering, Sarah replied with feigned earnestness, “He’s first in class, and I’m second. I figured being desk partners with him might give me a chance to learn and eventually surpass him.”

On her way back, Sarah saw that Emily had been called in next, confirming her suspicions.

Her justification was certainly a facade, bearing in mind that her original intent had indeed been to outdo him once. Now, however, that underlying desire had evolved. Her honest confession would’ve been rather bold, considering she couldn’t exactly reveal to the teacher, “I just want to date him.”