Tap, tap, tap. The classroom was too quiet. I had to break through the silence. I made my pencil hit the desk a little louder. No reaction.

“Ehem!” I cleared my throat. Kris turned to me and smiled.

Looking around, I see Nicole and Jacob exchanging glances. Ugh, puppy love. I could spot it a mile away with their gooey eyes and meaningful wink, winks.

I guess Kris caught me staring, because when I finally brought my gaze back to him, he had begun to write on a torn piece of paper.

He drew a small cartoon of Jacob with exaggerated muscles and a unibrow. Then he drew a word bubble. ‘Love ya, babe. U + me 4 ever!’ he wrote inside. I grinned and realized what he expected me to do.

“Your turn.” He whispered.

I wasn’t the greatest artist, but I tried my best. I doodled a too – short Nicole with an enormous mouth. Hmm, it suited her.

‘I’m hot, ur hot. Totally meant to be.’ I scribbled down. Then I added ‘Yah, like, yah’

Nicole always ended a sentence like that. Kris laughed.