"Attention students! Spring Festival setup starts at 3:30 PM in the gymnasium. Volunteers, please report to your assigned stations."
Sophie stared at the speaker, her grip tightening on her history textbook. The gym. A giant chamber full of tangled streamers, heavy tables, and most importantly Ethan Carter.
"Don't look like you're going to the gallows," Lila whispered, nudging her as they flowed into the hallway. "It's a festival, Soph! Paper flowers! Fairy lights! It's the most romantic setting in the history of high school tropes. If you don't make a move today, I'm calling the authorities."
"The only move I'm making is toward the exit," Sophie muttered, though her feet were already betraying her, moving toward the gym. "I'm a disaster with tape. I'll end up mummified in crepe paper while Ethan watches in silent horror."
"Or," Lila countered, "he'll have to rescue you. Think of the physical contact, Sophie! The 'let me help you untangle that' moment!"
Sophie groaned, but as she pushed open the heavy double doors of the gym, her eyes immediately locked onto him. Ethan was already there, standing on a low stepladder, reaching up to secure a strand of white lights. His shirt was tucked in, showing the lean strength of his back, and he looked as usual, like he had stepped out of a catalog for 'Effortlessly Cool Volunteers.'
"Go," Lila hissed, giving Sophie a shove that sent her stumbling forward.
Sophie didn't have a choice. She walked toward the sign-up sheet, her heart doing a frantic tap-dance against her ribs. Ethan hopped down from the ladder just as she arrived, his face slightly flushed from the effort.
"Hi... uh... Ethan," she said. Her voice was steady, a minor miracle 😂😂😂.
He looked up, and a genuine spark of recognition lit up his eyes. "Hi, Sophie. You volunteering too? I was hoping I wouldn't be the only one from our class who showed up."
"I thought I'd help out," she said, trying to sound like a person who volunteered for things all the time. "I'm... good with... aesthetics."
Ethan smiled, a warm, lopsided thing that made Sophie's knees feel like they were made of damp cardboard. "Perfect. I'm currently losing a fight with these fairy lights. Want to join my group? We're in charge of the main stage and the photo booth."
"Sure," Sophie said, her brain screaming YES while her mouth tried to stay casual.
The next three hours were a blur of high-energy chaos. The gym was filled with the sound of staple guns, the smell of sawdust, and the constant chatter of a hundred students.
Working with Ethan outside the classroom was a revelation. In the library, he was a "Serious Student." Here, he was a "Leader." He moved between tasks with a calm efficiency, but he kept coming back to Sophie's station.
"Careful with that banner," he said, stepping in close behind her as she struggled to align a "Welcome" sign. "The grommets are a bit delicate. Here, let me hold the left side."
He reached up, his arm brushing against her shoulder. Sophie was suddenly very aware of how close he was. She could smell the faint scent of woodsmoke and laundry detergent that seemed to follow him everywhere.
"I've got it!" she said, her voice a bit breathy.
"I know you do," he murmured, his eyes meeting hers. "I'm just the backup. You're the 'Chaotic Genius,' remember? I'm just here to make sure the gravity stays in check."
Sophie's heart swelled. He remembered her joke from the project. He was using it as a secret language between them.
As they moved to the supply table to grab more tape, the inevitable happened. Sophie reached for a roll of duct tape at the exact same moment Ethan did. Their hands didn't just brush; they collided. His palm was warm and slightly rough, and for a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Sophie froze. The "Flutter" in her stomach turned into a full-on earthquake. She looked up, expecting to see him looking annoyed or awkward, but instead, he was watching her with an amused, soft expression.
"We really should start labeling these better," he said, his voice low enough that only she could hear it over the gym noise. "Or maybe we just keep having the same bad timing."
"Yes... labeling," Sophie muttered, her cheeks burning. "Very important for... organization."
She straightened up, her fingers still tingling from the touch. Despite the embarrassment, she didn't feel like running away this time. There was an ease to their movements now, a shared rhythm that felt like they were an actual team.
By the time the final string of lights was hung and the tables were draped in spring-green cloths, the gym looked transformed. It was magical—the fairy lights reflecting off the polished floor, the paper flowers adding bursts of color everywhere.
"Thanks for helping out today, Sophie," Ethan said as they stood back to admire their work. "You were... really efficient. I didn't think we'd finish the stage until tonight."
"I just didn't want to mess up," Sophie admitted, a small laugh escaping her.
Ethan turned to her, his gaze intense but gentle. "You didn't. You handled it better than I expected. Actually... you're a lot tougher than you look."
Sophie blinked. Tougher than I look? "Is that a good thing?"
"It's the best thing," he said simply.
As they walked out of the gym together, carrying a box of leftover supplies, the evening air was cool and quiet. The sun had set, leaving the sky a deep, velvety purple.
"Hey," Ethan said as they reached the edge of the parking lot. "I'm glad you joined today. It made things... better. More fun."
"Fun?" Sophie repeated.
"Yeah. Honestly," he said, stopping for a moment. "You make things interesting, Sophie. I never know what you're going to say next, and I... I like that."
Sophie felt a warmth bloom in her chest that had nothing to do with the physical work she'd done. He liked her "unpredictability." He liked the very thing she had been trying so hard to hide.
"Thanks... Ethan," she whispered.
He gave her a small, final nod, a look that felt like a promise and headed toward his car.
Sophie stood there for a long time, watching him go. She was covered in glitter, her hands were sticky with tape residue, and she was physically exhausted. But as she turned to find Lila, who was hovering near the school entrance with a look of pure shock, Sophie realized that the "messy bits" weren't just hurdles to be survived.
They were the story.
"Did he just say you make things 'better'?" Lila demanded, practically vibrating with excitement.
"He did," Sophie said, a wide, genuine smile breaking across her face.
"And did you faint?"
"No," Sophie said, her voice full of a new, quiet confidence. "I stayed upright. And I think... I think I'm finally learning how to breathe."
As she walked home that night, the stars seemed a little brighter, and the "Flutter" in her chest felt like it was finally home. She didn't have to act natural. She didn't have to be a rock or an island. She just had to be Sophie—the girl who designed secret passageways and handled glitter like a pro.
And for the first time, she knew that Ethan Carter was looking at exactly that girl.