Song: Havana by Camilla Cabello. Isn't the video just LIT?

Layla's POV

I barely slept a wink after last night's chaos, and now here I am, dragging myself to school. My mind kept replaying Justin's rescue and the weird, fluttery feeling I got when he smiled at me. I shook my head, trying to clear the thought.

I entered the hallways of Rosewood High with my eyes on my feet.

Girls were gathered in groups, holding their phones out and watching yesterday's video while pointing at me. 

"Is she the hoe Justin saved at the party?"

"I don't know what he found so attractive of her."

"She is like so fugly."

I tried to tune them out, but their words stung. I scuffled hurriedly to class.

Hoping for a quick escape from reality, I plugged in my earphones and listened to some K-Pop. I don't understand a thing in Korean but it makes me feel so good and jumpy.

I take my earphones and listen to them just to make sure the music isn't loud enough for others to hear.

I'm weird, I know.

Mrs. Thompson's announcement made my stomach drop.

"Class, for our next project, you'll be paired up. This will require cooperation, coordination, and, most importantly, chemistry," she said with a grin that screamed she found herself funny.

I didn't. Especially not when I heard, "Layla and Justin."

Great. Just great.

Justin sauntered over, flashing his trademark smile. "Looks like we're partners, Layla."

I managed a tight smile. "Yeah, lucky us."

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound thrilled."

"I'm just... not a fan of group projects."I lied.

"Well, I promise to be the best partner you've ever had," he said, winking. I rolled my eyes but couldn't suppress the small smile tugging at my lips.

Justin's POV

I couldn't believe my luck. Paired with Layla? It was a perfect opportunity to work my charm and get to know her better. Winning her over was supposed to be just a bet, but after last night, I felt something shift. She intrigued me.

"How about we meet at your place after school?" I suggested. "We can start on the project."

"Fine," she sighed. "But don't think you can slack off. I won't do all the work."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I said, flashing another grin. She shook her head, muttering something about "players and their smiles."

Later that day, I arrived at Layla's house. It was cozy and welcoming, a stark contrast to the cold, empty mansion I called home.

"Nice place," I said, looking around.

"Thanks," she replied, leading me to the living room. "Let's get started."

We spread out our materials, and I couldn't help but notice how organized she was. Total nerd, but in a cute way.

As we worked, I tried to make small talk. "So, what do you do for fun, besides being a chemistry genius?"

She laughed. "Oh, you know, the usual—reading, sketching, not getting into fights at parties."

"Ouch," I said, holding up my hands in surrender. "I deserved that."

She smiled, and for a moment, I forgot why I was there.

Then I noticed a photo on the mantle. I walked over and picked it up. "Who's this?" I asked, pointing to a man standing next to a younger Layla and her mom.

"That's my dad," she said softly. "He works for some big company."

I froze, recognizing the man. My dad used to work with him before... the accident.

"Layla, what's your dad's name?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Jordan Adams," she replied, looking puzzled. "Why?"

My heart raced. "He worked with my dad. My dad used to talk about him all the time before he... died."

Her eyes widened. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Justin."

"It's okay," I said, shaking off the emotion. "Just... weird coincidence, huh?"

She nodded, clearly affected. "Yeah, it is."

We sat back down, the air between us charged with something new. Shared history, maybe. Or just the realization that there was more to each of us than we thought.

Layla's POV

I couldn't believe it. Our dads worked together? The world really is small. Seeing Justin's vulnerability gave me a new perspective on him. 

I felt a pang of sympathy. Maybe there was more to Justin Woods than I thought.

We finished our work, and as he packed up to leave, he turned to me. "Thanks for today, Layla. This was... nice."

"Yeah, it was," I admitted. "See you tomorrow, Justin."

He smiled, and this time, it felt different—genuine. "See you, Layla."

As I watched him walk away, I realized that maybe, just maybe, there was more to Justin Woods than met the eye.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi little wattpadian,

So, what do you think??

Layla's finally paired up with Justin.

Jasmine would be proud.

Q) What's your current fav song?
A) Mine's Havana by Camilla Cabello
Comment below 👇🏻👇🏻

Short chapter I know, and that's why *screams"SURPRISE" like a maniac* I have updated the next chapter also.

Don't miss it !!!