assignment done

The classroom slowly grew louder as the assignment continued.

Some groups had already stopped working and were now talking about random things. A few students were walking around to ask others for answers, while the teacher sat at her desk checking something on her laptop.

But Lily and Noah were still focused on the book.

“Well,” Lily said, tapping her pen lightly against the page, “we only have two questions left.”

Noah glanced at the notebook.

“You write fast.”

“That’s because you explain fast,” Lily replied.

For a moment, Noah looked slightly surprised.

Then he gave a small shrug.

“I guess.”

Lily leaned back in her chair a little and stretched her arms.

“You know… you’re not as quiet as everyone thinks.”

Noah looked at her.

“Everyone thinks I’m quiet?”

“Yeah,” Lily said casually. “You barely talk to anyone.”

“That’s not really a bad thing.”

“I didn’t say it was.”

For a second, neither of them spoke.

Then Lily smiled slightly.

“But you’re actually easy to talk to.”

Noah didn’t answer right away. He simply looked down at the book again and flipped a page slowly.

“Maybe you’re just easy to talk to,” he said.

Lily blinked once.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“That sounded like a compliment.”

Noah almost smiled again.

Almost.

They finished writing the next answer together.

The teacher suddenly stood up from her desk.

“Alright everyone,” she said loudly. “You have ten more minutes.”

Groans filled the room.

Lily quickly looked at the last question.

“Okay okay, hurry,” she said.

Noah leaned closer again to read the paragraph.

This time he spoke first.

“The answer should be somewhere here.”

Lily followed the lines with her finger.

“Oh wait— here!”

She quickly wrote it down.

A few seconds later she closed the notebook.

“Done.”

Noah nodded slightly.

“Good teamwork.”

Lily turned her pen between her fingers.

“You sound like a teacher.”

“That’s not a good thing.”

“No,” Lily laughed. “It kind of is.”

For a moment, they both sat quietly.

The classroom felt warm from the sunlight pouring through the windows. Dust floated softly in the light above the desks, and outside the wind moved gently through the trees again.

Lily noticed Noah looking outside once more.

“You really like that window, don’t you?” she said.

Noah glanced back at her.

“It’s quieter.”

“Quieter than this chaos?”

“Much quieter.”

Lily followed his gaze for a moment.

Outside, the sky was bright blue, and a few birds flew past the building.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “I get it.”

The bell suddenly rang loudly.

Students immediately stood up again, grabbing their bags and pushing their chairs back.

The classroom filled with movement.

Emma rushed over to Lily’s desk.

“Are you done?” she asked quickly.

Lily held up her notebook.

“Yep.”

Emma looked impressed.

“Wow.”

Then she noticed Noah sitting beside Lily.

“Oh— hi,” she said awkwardly.

Noah nodded politely.

“Hi.”

Emma looked at Lily with a suspicious smile before walking away again.

Lily rolled her eyes.

“Sorry about her.”

Noah shook his head.

“It’s fine.”

Students were already leaving the classroom now.

Lily began packing her books slowly into her bag.

When she stood up, Noah was doing the same.

For a moment they both paused near the desk.

Then Lily spoke.

“Well… I guess I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

Noah adjusted his backpack on his shoulder.

“Yeah.”

There was a small silence.

Then he added quietly,

“Thanks for helping with the assignment.”

Lily smiled.

“You helped too.”

The hallway outside was already crowded again as they walked out of the classroom with everyone else.

For a few seconds they walked in the same direction without saying anything.

Then the hallway split into two corridors.

Lily stopped.

“My next class is that way.”

Noah looked down the other hallway.

“Mine’s this way.”

“See you later then,” Lily said.

Noah nodded once.

“See you.”

They walked in opposite directions.

But after a few steps, Lily glanced back over her shoulder.

Noah was already disappearing into the crowd of students.

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