Chapter 1: The Assignment

The buzz of students in the crowded classroom slowly faded as Professor Harper stood by the front of the room, her hands clasped together. Liam Westbrook glanced nervously at his watch, tapping the edge of the desk with his fingers. Another hour, and he could be back in the safety of his dorm room, buried in the pages of some book that allowed him to retreat into a world where things were simpler. But for now, there was this—an English seminar that he had no choice but to endure.

"Alright, everyone," Professor Harper's voice echoed through the room, sharp and clear, "today we’ll be pairing up for your final project. Each pair will be analyzing a piece of literature and presenting it in a creative format. This is your chance to explore something different, push your boundaries a little."

Liam had no problem with boundaries, but it wasn’t the type of boundary he was hoping to explore. He was a literature major, after all, not some experimental theater artist or creative writer. He liked his books structured, his analysis neat. Nothing flashy.

The professor began reading out names. Liam barely heard them as his mind wandered. His eyes drifted to the windows, the campus visible outside. Fall was in full swing, the trees painted in shades of red, orange, and gold. He wished he could be out there instead of trapped in this classroom with forty other students who seemed so confident and at ease in their own skin.

"Westbrook... Liam Westbrook."

Liam snapped back to attention, his head jerking up. He met the professor’s eyes, feeling the weight of the room descend upon him. All eyes were on him now.

"You're with Dominic Carter," she said with a smile, as if pairing them together was the most natural thing in the world.

Liam blinked. Dominic Carter.

The name sounded familiar, but it took him a moment to connect the dots. Of course. The guy with the vibrant personality, the one who practically lived in the theater department. The one who wore his pride like a badge, never backing down from a challenge, always making sure the world saw him for exactly who he was. The one who, despite his openness, never seemed to fit in with the more reserved students. He wasn’t Liam’s type—not that Liam even had a "type"—but Dominic Carter was everything Liam wasn’t. Loud, confident, carefree.

Great.

Liam sighed inwardly. He was used to being the quiet one, the observer, but this was different. The thought of being paired with Dominic made him nervous in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

As he gathered his things, he noticed Dominic, sitting in the front row, already standing and chatting animatedly with the students around him. His presence was magnetic. The kind of person who always seemed to be in the center of attention, even when they weren’t trying. He had a short, styled haircut, and his clothes—a tight black t-shirt and ripped jeans—looked like they’d been carefully chosen to reflect the image of someone who was always in the know.

Dominic caught Liam’s eye across the room. A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, like he knew exactly what Liam was thinking.

"Hey, Westbrook!" Dominic called, his voice loud and clear, cutting through the chatter of the other students. "Ready to work together?"

Liam froze for a moment. His heart skipped a beat, and then he forced a polite smile.

"Uh, yeah, sure," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dominic’s smirk deepened, and he pushed away from his desk, making his way toward Liam with an almost predatory confidence. He was too close too quickly, and Liam shifted uncomfortably, trying to maintain some space between them.

"I like the way you talk," Dominic said with a wink as he took a seat next to Liam. "Very mysterious."

Liam felt his face flush. He wasn’t sure if Dominic was joking or if he was trying to break down the walls he had so carefully built around himself. Either way, he felt exposed, as if his entire inner world had been laid bare for Dominic to inspect.

"Thanks," Liam mumbled, staring down at the stack of papers in front of him.

Dominic leaned in a little, resting his elbow on the desk. "So, what do you think about the project?" His voice softened just enough for Liam to hear the genuine curiosity behind it. "Professor Harper said we can do something a little more creative, like a performance or a multimedia presentation. Any ideas?"

Liam’s mind raced. He wasn’t exactly the most creative person. He preferred the structure of a good essay, a solid thesis, but Dominic seemed to expect something more than that.

"I—I don’t really know," Liam stammered, trying to come up with something that would satisfy Dominic’s expectations without revealing just how much he hated being put on the spot. "Maybe we could do an analysis of a book and create a visual aid? You know, like a slide show or something?"

Dominic tilted his head, studying Liam for a long moment. "A slide show?" he repeated, his voice dripping with amusement. "You sure you’re not secretly a boring old professor in disguise, Westbrook?"

Liam’s heart sank. "I didn’t mean—"

Dominic held up a hand, cutting him off. "I’m messing with you. Don’t sweat it. How about this—we pick a play, maybe something more experimental, and we each do a character analysis and then... I don’t know, act out some scenes? Maybe you can pick a character that’s really boring and lifeless and I’ll make them come to life," he said with a grin.

Liam was about to protest—he wasn’t about to act in front of an audience, not even in a class project—but something about Dominic’s enthusiasm made him pause. There was a certain energy about him that was hard to ignore, something infectious that made Liam feel like he might actually be able to handle this, as long as he didn’t have to step too far out of his comfort zone.

"I’ll... think about it," Liam said, still unsure but trying to seem agreeable.

Dominic’s grin widened. "That’s the spirit! Don’t worry, Westbrook. I’ve got this. You just follow my lead."

Liam swallowed, wondering if that was the best or worst thing anyone had ever said to him.

As the class ended, Dominic slapped him on the back, startling him. "Alright, we’ll meet up later this week to brainstorm. Don’t forget about the script, yeah? And hey, no pressure. We’ll make it fun."

Liam nodded, trying to hide his discomfort behind a half-hearted smile.

As he walked out of the classroom, the weight of the project—and the uneasy sensation Dominic had stirred in him—settled deep in his chest. He wasn’t sure how this would go, or if he was even ready to deal with whatever it was that was happening between him and Dominic. But for the first time in a long time, Liam couldn’t deny the stirring curiosity inside him. Something about Dominic made him want to take a step outside of the life he had carefully constructed. And for better or worse, Liam knew he wasn’t going to be able to ignore that pull for long.

**End of Chapter 1**

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