ch 6

                                    

                                          
Space academy
**Scene: The School Library - Late Afternoon**
The library is quiet, with sunlight streaming through the tall windows, casting soft shadows over the shelves. Naina sits at a corner table, her head bent over a pile of books, her glasses slipping down her nose as she reads. She adjusts them, her heart filled with warmth because today, like every day, she is helping Sameer. 
Sameer strides in confidently, his signature leather jacket and charm turning heads. He spots Naina and smirks, walking over to her table with an air of casual indifference.
**Sameer (teasing):**  
"Hey, Nerdie! What's cooking in those thick books today? Saving the world with your smarts?"
Naina looks up, the slight sting of his words present, but she hides it behind a soft smile. To her, his teasing is just part of who he is. She chooses to focus on the moments where they laugh together, where she believes he shows her his true self.
**Naina (softly):**  
"Just finishing up some notes for the exam. You can have them when I'm done."
Sameer sits beside her, leaning back casually as if this is routine. To him, it is. A bet. A game. Get close to the nerdy girl, get good grades. His friends had laughed, knowing he'd never actually be serious about her. After all, Sameer was popular, cool, and never someone who'd fall for someone like Naina.
**Sameer (mocking concern):**  
"Good thing you're here to save me from failing, huh? I mean, what would I do without you?"
Naina blushes slightly, her heart fluttering. To her, these moments are real, even if she knows they come wrapped in teasing.
**Naina (gently):**  
"You'd do fine. You’re smart, Sameer. You just… don’t show it."
Sameer chuckles, leaning closer, his tone dropping to something softer, but still playful.
**Sameer:**  
"Maybe I just need you to show me how it’s done, Nerdie."
Naina's breath catches for a second, her heart beating faster. She can't help but feel that underneath the teasing, there might be something real. Something that connects them. But she pushes the thought aside, not wanting to expect too much.
**Naina:**  
"I’ll help you, Sameer. You just have to try."
As she says this, Sameer reaches out, lightly flicking her glasses with a grin.
**Sameer (laughing):**  
"Try? Come on, Naina. That's what you're here for!"
He doesn’t notice how her smile falters for a brief second, or how her eyes dim just slightly. She looks back at her notes, pushing down the hurt. Sameer doesn't see her as she sees him. But she can’t help it. For Naina, Sameer means everything, even if he only sees her as a way to get good grades.
Sameer, however, is oblivious to her feelings. To him, she’s just part of the game—a bet he’s winning. He picks up one of her notebooks casually and flips through the pages.
**Sameer (smirking):**  
"Well, keep being my little genius, and who knows? Maybe one day you’ll stop being such a nerd."
He tosses the notebook back on the table and stands, ruffling her hair as he walks away, laughing to himself. Naina watches him leave, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She whispers to herself, knowing he’ll never hear it:
**Naina (softly, to herself):**  
"I wish you could see the real me… the way I see the real you." 
Her heart aches as she turns back to her books, knowing that despite how much she wants things to be different, for now, she’s just a "nerdie" to him, and nothing more.