The chemistry classroom buzzed with excitement on the first day of group projects. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching the dust motes dancing above the lab benches as students filed in. Layla practically bounced in her seat, her enthusiasm infectious.

"First group chemistry project of the year. I am psyched!" she declared.

Emma couldn't help but smile. "Same here- God, we're both losers, aren't we?"

"At least we're in good company," Layla replied with a grin.

Ms. Ford strode to the front of the classroom, her lab coat pristinely white. "Good morning, everyone! I'm sure you're all just itching to get to work on your group chemistry projects!" Her eyes sparkled with the kind of enthusiasm only veteran science teachers could muster. "Now, normally I would allow you pick your own lab partners, but for this semester's project, I've decided to try something a little different. I've assigned you all a partner based on your grades from last year."

"Not so different for us, then," Layla whispered to Emma, confident. "We definitely have the highest GPAs in the class, and we always pair up anyway."

The classroom door suddenly burst open, interrupting Ms. Ford's announcements. Mason stood in the doorway, slightly out of breath.

"Sorry, I'm late!" he managed.

Ms. Ford's eyebrows rose as she consulted her roster. "Hmm. Not the best first impression, Mr. Nieves. Still, your academic records speaks for itself." She looked up, her next words falling like bombs in the quiet classroom. "Emma, this is your new lab partner, Mason Nieves."

"WHAT??" Emma and Mason's voices collided in shared horror.

"But, Ms. Ford, I always pair up with Layla!" Emma protested.

Ms. Ford's voice carried a note of finality. "Did you not hear me, Emma? I said I was doing things differently this semester."

After class, Mason caught up with Emma in the hallway, his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder. "So... Lab partners again. Just like old times."

"In the old days, it was by choice," Emma replied coldly. "This isn't the same at all."

"Would you get off my back!" Mason's voice rose. "I was just making conversation!"

Before Emma could respond, Crystal materialized beside them. "Emma, I'm going to need your help with--" She collided with Mason, books tumbling. "Oh!"

"Sorry," Mason bent to help gather her scattered papers.

"Don't be!" Crystal's voice dripped honey as she looked up at him through her lashes. "Mason, right? It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Crystal Dale. Emma has told me so much about you."

Mason glanced between the two girls, confused. "Uh... Oh?"

"Don't worry- all good things!" Crystal beamed. "It's so cute that you two are lab partners, btw! Emma is soo smart- she helps me with my work, like, all the time!"

"Yeah, she's always been smart." Mason nodded. "Hey, science is one of my strongest subjects. So if you ever need any help..."

"Awww, that's so sweet of you! Thanks- I'll definitely take you up on that offer!" Crystal's smile could have lit up Times Square. "I'll let you two brainiacs get back to work now."

As Crystal click-clacked away, Mason turned to Emma. "She seems nice."

"She's just putting on a show cause she wants to impress you. She's the worst."

"Huh." Mason's expression turned knowing.

"What?"

"I just never pegged you as the jealous type, that's all."

Emma spluttered, "You-- I-- I am not jealous of her!"

"Sure," Mason drawled, disbelief evident in every syllable. "Anyway, I have to go. Meet you in the library tomorrow to work on the lab project?"

"Sure, see you tomorrow," Emma managed, wondering how everything had gotten so complicated so quickly.

That evening, Layla's bedroom became a refuge for gossip and revelations. The pale purple walls witnessed secrets being shared as Hayley sprawled across Layla's bed, her curiosity finally getting the better of her friend's resistance.

"Hey, Hales!" Layla greeted, arranging throw pillows on her window seat.

"Hey! I thought Emma was coming over as well?" Hayley rolled onto her stomach, propping her chin on her hands.

"She'll be late. She's still in the library working on her college application."

"I'm the only one who knows how to have fun around here." Hayley sighed dramatically. "Speaking of, how was chem class?"

Layla's expression darkened. "Blech. The less you say about that in front of Emma, the better... Turns out Mason's in our class, and he and Emma are lab partners."

"Is that bad?" Hayley sat up, adjusting her glasses. "I mean, I know Emma doesn't want to talk about him, but that doesn't mean they can't work together, right?"

"You don't know half of it, Hales. Things between Mason and Emma ended...badly."

Hayley leaned forward, her resolve crumbling. "LayLay? I know that I promised Emma I'd stop bugging her about this, and I swear that this is the last time I'll ask, but you have to give me something here, or I'm literally going to burst!"

Layla paced the room, conflict evident on her face. Finally, she turned to Hayley. "Emma and Mason dated in middle school, but he was a total doofus. Long story short, I convinced her to end things with him- they broke up at the end of middle school. Being around him again is bringing back a lot of bad memories for her. If he still cared about her at all, he would stay out of her way."

"What, come on, LayLay?" Hayley bounced on the bed. "Give me the juicy details! I want to hear the longer part of it, please!"

Layla hesitated, then sat beside her friend. "...Ok, promise me that it'll stay between us."

"It'll never leave this room- pinkie swear!" Hayley extended her pinkie solemnly.

Layla looked at her warily. "I don't know how you're getting me to do this... So anyway, Emma and Mason clicked right away. She really cared about him. I could never understand why--"

"Well, you have to admit, he's pretty dreamy," Hayley interrupted. "Everyone says so."

"Meh. I've never been able to see the appeal. He's not my type."

"Don't you have eyes?! Who IS your type?"

A faint blush colored Layla's cheeks. "Are you going to let me finish this story, or not?"

"Sooory, LayLay."

"As I was saying," Layla continued, "I could never understand why, because Mason was a total doofus- never doing his homework, goofing around with video games when he should have been working- he was incapable of taking anything seriously. He wasn't stupid- he just never put in any effort. He always thought that things would work out on their own."

"That's, like, the complete opposite of Emma!"

"Exactly. And Mason was a bad influence on her. After they became an item, her grades started to slip. He was always convincing her to skip class and half-ass her assignments. I swear, while she was dating him, Emma spent more time in Crescent Park than she did at school."

"That doesn't sound like Emma at all!" Hayley's eyes widened behind her glasses.

"I know. But Mason had a weird effect on her. It was like she couldn't see past him to anything in the future."

"It sounds like he made her happy," Hayley observed quietly.

Layla's expression hardened. "I'm sure he did, for a while. But you can't just skip school forever. Eventually she missed too much work. Things got so bad that she failed her eighth grade science test. She had to spend the entire vacation at summer school, catching up on all the work she had missed. Plus, she was grounded for, like, forever. After that, I finally convinced her to dump the moron. It wasn't easy, but I persuaded her that it was for the best. She broke up with him just before the end of middle school."

"Whoa, LayLay!" Hayley sat up straighter. "Are you sure that was a good idea? I mean, it sounds like Emma really liked Mason. Shouldn't it have been her decision?"

"It WAS her decision, Hales," Layla snapped. "I just helped her to make the right one. She deserved better than Mason- he was dragging her down. Once she ended things with him, she realized that for herself."

"I dunno." Hayley hugged a pillow to her chest. "She still seems pretty hung up on him to me. Did you see the way she looked at him at lunch yesterday? She was seriously rattled!"

"Yeah, but not in love!" Layla insisted. "After she split up with him, Mason left town. Until yesterday, Emma hadn't seen him for three years. It's no wonder she's rattled. And if Mason has grown any sense, he would stay out of her way."

----
The next day, afternoon sunlight slanted through the library's tall windows, creating golden pools on the worn wooden tables. Emma had already claimed their usual study spot when Mason arrived, his footsteps echoing in the quiet space.

"Let's get going with the project," he said, sliding into the chair across from her. "Did you remember to bring the reading list?"

Emma's eyes flashed. "What's this, amateur hour? Of course I brought it!"

"Oh, so that's how this is gonna be? Perfect." Mason's jaw tightened.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid, Emma. If you're angry with me, you should just come out and say it."

"Angry with you? I'm not angry. It's just-- I--" Emma fumbled with her words, caught off guard by his directness.

"What?"

"...Nevermind. Let's get back to the project." She began shuffling through her notes, avoiding his gaze.

Mason reached across the table, placing his hand over her papers. "Like we're going to get anything done when we can't even have a civilized conversation. No, we're having this out first. You clearly have something you want to say. So out with it, Emma. What's eating you?"

"I could ask you the same question." Emma met his eyes, challenge clear in her voice. "Come on, Mason. You've been biting my head off ever since you got here. If anyone needs to clear the air here, it's you."

A heavy silence fell between them. Mason ran a hand through his hair, his anger deflating. "...Ok, maybe you have a point. I'm... I'm sorry for jumping down your throat. But after everything that happened between us, can you blame me? One day I think I'm not ever going to see you again, and the next we're lab partners! I mean, how was I supposed to react to that?"

Emma's expression softened. "That's a fair point. It hasn't been easy on me either." She took a deep breath. "Shall we start over? We might not be friends again, but I bet we can nail this lab project."

"Sure." A ghost of his old smile appeared. "Okay, so I was thinking we could split the work into three parts, focusing on natural, scientific and commercial examples of thermal decomposition. If you take the first one, I'll do the second. We can split the third. Thermal decomposition is usually an endothermic reaction, so..." He trailed off, noticing her stare. "What?"

"When did you become such a smarty pants?"

"Ok, quit it, Emma." His cheeks colored slightly. "I'm not any smarter, I just work harder now."

"What changed?"

Mason's expression grew thoughtful. "Honestly, I decided it was time to start taking things seriously. I realized when I left middle school that I couldn't just sit around, waiting for good things to find me: I had to go and look for them."

"That's pretty deep, Mason."

"Whatever. Let's get back to work."

Later that day, the cafeteria hummed with its usual lunchtime chaos as Emma joined her friends at their table. Layla pounced immediately.

"Soo, how did it go with Mason this morning?"

"It was fine actually. I don't know what I was worried about!"

"Oh...well. That's great, I guess." Layla's enthusiasm seemed forced.

Hayley bounded up to their table, phone in hand. "Hey guys! You will not believe Maddy's latest blog post!" She cleared her throat dramatically and began reading. "I quote, 'Daleside High is abuzz this week with news of a new arrival- the yummy Mason Nieves! The mysterious Mr. M just transferred here from out of state. So what's the goss on this tall, dark stranger? Well, for starters, he's a hit with the ladies! In fact, some were already saying that he's the cutest guy in school!'" She caught herself and looked sheepishly at her friends. "I've done it again, haven't I?"

Emma sighed, resigned. "Go on, Hales, I may as well hear the rest of it now."

"'Even better: this babe has brains. He's a computer genius, and has even offered to redesign the school website.'" Hayley glanced up. "Doesn't look like you get a mention by the way."

"Thank God!" Emma slumped with relief. "I never wanted to be on Madison's radar in the first place."

"Looks like your stubborn silence paid off." Layla picked at her lunch. "I've got to say, I'm surprised to hear that he's a straight A student now. I mean he was a doofus in middle school."

"No, he wasn't," Emma corrected quietly. "He just didn't like school back then."

"When are you guys meeting up again, Emma?" Hayley leaned forward eagerly.

"Tomorrow, after school."

"Yeee!" Hayley clapped her hands. "Text me after, ok?"

"It's not a date, Hales. We're probably going to spend the whole time talking about boring science stuff."

"Yawn! Text me anyway though!" Hayley's eyes sparkled. "You've got exclusive access to the school's hottest topic. I want in!"

Emma groaned and dropped her head onto her folded arms, wondering how she'd ended up in the middle of what was quickly becoming Daleside High's biggest drama of the semester.