to work with Angel

You sit in class, staring blankly at the board as Mr. Babbage drones on about derivatives. He insists that mastering them will unlock the secrets of the universe—something about how calculus is the study of change and how everything is constantly changing. But his monotone voice makes it hard to stay awake, and your head keeps slipping off your hand as you fight to keep your eyes open.

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Angel struggling with the same battle. Unlike you, though, her luck runs out as Mr. Babbage catches her nodding off.

"Angel, am I boring you?" Mr. Babbage's curt tone cuts through the monotony of his lecture, and he fixes Angel with a stern gaze, waiting for her response.

"No, sir," she replies quickly, shifting in her seat to a less comfortable position in an attempt to stay awake. She shoots you an annoyed look, clearly envious that you’ve managed to avoid getting caught.

Class drags on, but despite your best efforts, you and Angel both succumb to drowsiness. You’re jolted awake by the sound of Angel’s head hitting her desk, followed by a quiet, "Ow."

"Fuck," she mutters under her breath, gently rubbing the small, tender bump forming on her forehead. You can’t help but snicker, which she clearly hears. The sight of Angel smacking her head against the desk is just too amusing to resist.

She avoids looking in your direction for the rest of the class, trying to play it off as if nothing happened. But you can’t help but notice the slight blush creeping into her cheeks. Finally, Mr. Babbage wraps up his lecture.

"Okay, everyone, pair up and work on the problems in the textbook," he says, writing the page numbers and problem sets on the board.

You glance over at Kaguya, but her best friend Madeline beats you to it, already moving her desk closer to Kaguya's.

"Oh, hi Madeline," Kaguya says in a monotone voice, her attention already back on her phone as she reads more manga. Madeline starts a conversation, though it’s mostly one-sided, with Kaguya giving indifferent responses.

You look around, trying to find someone else to partner with, but everyone has already paired up. You groan inwardly as you realize there's only one person left: Angel. She rolls her eyes and sighs loudly when she sees you. Reluctantly, she gets up and plops down in the seat next to yours, scooching her desk closer until it touches yours.

"Hey, Angel," you say casually, your gaze drifting back to Kaguya. Just the thought of working with her brings a smile to your face. You sigh dreamily, imagining the two of you doing "schoolwork" together in her bedroom.

"Hey, pervert," Angel snaps, interrupting your daydream. "The textbook problems are over here." She seems irritated, though you’re not entirely sure why.

"Oh, right, yeah," you respond, turning your attention back to Angel. "Truth be told, I forgot my book at home..."

That’s a lie. Your book is sitting right there in your backpack. But if you’re going to lose your virginity before you die (again), you figure you’ve got to put in some effort, and that means not focusing on just one girl. "Mind if I read off your textbook?" you ask.

"Fine, whatever," Angel replies with an irked tone, as if you’d just asked for something far more invasive. She shoves her textbook between your desks so you can get a better view.