The Wrong Number Of Love

It had been a few days since the phone swap, and Ella thought she was finally free of Noah. Her week had returned to its regular rhythm: school, snapping photos in the park, and working on her college portfolio.

But fate, as it turned out, had a cruel sense of humor.

Ella was in the school library, trying to focus on her essay about "personal growth through unexpected challenges." She had just started typing when she heard a familiar voice—loud and confident—drifting through the quiet room.

"Hey, do you have a book about… I don't know, surviving teenage disasters?"

Ella froze, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She peeked around the bookshelf to confirm her worst suspicion. There he was. Noah Bennett, the walking chaos magnet, charming the librarian with his easy smile.

"No," she whispered to herself. "Not him. Anywhere but here."

But it was too late. Noah spotted her as if he had a built-in radar. His grin widened, and he made a beeline for her table.

"Well, well," he said, plopping into the seat across from her. "If it isn't Ella Carter, the master of phone-swapping drama."

Ella's heart sank. "Do you follow me or something?"

"Nope, just fate," he replied, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place. "You're the one who made this town interesting. I couldn't resist saying hi."

"Hi. Bye," Ella said curtly, turning back to her laptop.

But Noah wasn't so easily dismissed. He glanced at her screen. "Personal growth through challenges, huh? You should just write about me. Problem solved."

Ella groaned. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Looking for a quiet place to write songs," he said casually. "Turns out, this place is great for inspiration."

Two weeks later, the school announced a special event: a multimedia competition where students could collaborate to create a presentation combining art, music, and storytelling.

Ella was initially excited. She'd been waiting for an opportunity to showcase her photography. But her excitement turned to dread when the teacher explained that partners would be assigned randomly.

Of course, her name ended up paired with Noah Bennett's.