Chapter 4 : A Quiet Kind of Chemistry

SARA POV

“You’ll be my lab partner,” he said.

Just like that.

I blinked. “Oh… okay,” I replied, trying to sound normal—but inside, I was freaking out.

He didn’t say anything else. Just nodded once and walked away like it was no big deal.

I sat there for a few seconds, frozen.

What just happened?

Of all people… why me? Was it random? Was my name assigned next to his? Did he choose me?

No—don’t overthink, Sara.

When I finally met back with Freya, she instantly raised an eyebrow. “What happened? You look like you saw a ghost.”

“Ryan Thorne,” I said slowly. “He’s going to be my lab partner.”

Her mouth dropped. “What?! Shut up. You’re joking.”

“I’m not. He came to me and said it.”

“Damn, girl. That’s the universe right there. I saw how handsome he is. It's your lucky day.” She nudged me playfully.

I groaned, covering my face. “It was so awkward. Our eyes met for like one second and I panicked.”

Freya just laughed. “You always panic when it comes to guys. But look—you’re paired now. Destiny.”

I sighed. “More like disaster. I don’t even know how to talk to him. He looks… serious all the time.”

“He’s probably just shy. Or introverted. Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

She had a point. Maybe he wasn’t cold. Maybe he was just quiet. Still, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

I wasn’t good at talking to boys. And now I had to work with one. With Ryan.

…

The next day came quicker than I wanted.

Lab class.

I walked in early, hoping to calm myself down before he arrived. I found our table, opened my notebook, and acted like I was reviewing something—even though I wasn’t reading at all.

Then I felt it. A presence.

He sat down next to me. No greetings. Just silence.

I glanced at him. Still the same calm, unreadable expression. He opened his notebook and looked at the syllabus.

Should I say something?

“Um… hi,” I finally said, softly.

He looked at me. “Hey.”

One word—but somehow, it made me feel less nervous.

“I’m Sara. But you already know that,” I added awkwardly.

“Yeah,” he said. “I remember.”

My head was spinning with too many thoughts, so I quickly focused on the class as the professor came in.

As the lesson went on, we had to work together for the experiment. I thought maybe it’d be awkward, but… it wasn’t.

He wasn’t talkative, but he wasn’t cold either. He explained things clearly. We didn’t talk much, but we worked smoothly. He's so smarter than I thought.

I started feeling… calm around him.

Still curious. Still nervous. But calm.

And when the class ended, as we cleaned up the tools, I accidentally bumped into him.

“Sorry!” I said quickly.

“It’s okay,” he replied, brushing it off.

Before he left, he paused. “You did well today.”

I blinked. “Thanks… you too.”

He gave a small nod and walked out.

That was it.

Just a short moment.

But it left my heart thumping again.

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