Steven tapped his fingers against his desk, eyes unfocused as his laptop screen flickered with an open coding project. He wasn't working. Not really. His mind kept circling back to the night before, Jessica, the awkward hug, the conversation about prom.
He liked her. That much was clear. But the real problem? They were nothing alike.
Jessica lived in a world of social events, casual confidence, and effortless charm. Steven lived in a world of silent observations, anime debates, and coding marathons. The two didn't mix. At least, not in the way he imagined when he thought of couples in high school.
But then again… why did last night feel so easy?
A ping from his phone snapped him out of his thoughts.
Jessica: Anime was good. You're still a nerd tho.
Steven huffed out a quiet laugh before typing back.
Steven: Takes one to know one.
She replied almost instantly.
Jessica: I take it back. You have no social skills.
Steven: And yet, somehow, you still talk to me.
He stared at the screen, waiting for a response. It took a little longer this time, but eventually, it came.
Jessica: Touché. So, are we ignoring the fact that you basically asked me to prom?
Steven's stomach flipped.
Steven: Only if you want to.
Another pause. Then,
Jessica: I haven't said no.
Steven exhaled, staring at those words. Not a yes, but not a no. That was… something.
Later that day
It wasn't planned. But somehow, Steven found himself sitting across from Jessica at al coffee shop, an empty milkshake glass between them.
"You ever think about how weird it is that we even became friends?" Jessica mused, lazily stirring the melted remains of her drink.
Steven arched an eyebrow. "We're friends now?"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Shut up. You know what I mean."
He smirked but let her continue.
"I mean, we're kinda opposites, right?" she said. "Like, I spend my weekends at parties, and you spend yours… what? Studying and writing code?"
Steven shrugged. "Accurate."
Jessica leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "So why does this work?"
Steven considered that. "Maybe because we don't expect each other to be anything different."
Jessica blinked. Then, surprisingly, she smiled. "That might be the smartest thing you've ever said."
Steven scoffed. "Gee, thanks."
She laughed, and for a moment, Steven forgot about all the reasons this was supposed to be complicated. Maybe it didn't have to be.
Maybe, despite their different worlds, this was something real.