Asha and Esme

Intro I didn’t expect senior year chemistry to change my life, but then again, I didn’t expect to be partnered with both Asha and Esme either. It started on a rainy Tuesday, when Mr. Keller, in all his sleepy monotone glory, announced a trimester-long group project. “Teams of three,” he mumbled, scribbling names on the board. My heart sank when I saw mine—me, Asha Brooks, and Esme Langford. Asha, sharp-eyed and no-nonsense, with a voice that could cut glass and an energy that made you sit up straight. Esme, quiet but disarming, always lost in a book or sketching constellations on her jeans with a pen. They were polar opposites—and neither had really spoken to each other outside of class before this. Our first meeting was… tense. Asha wanted structure, deadlines, precision. Esme wanted to make the poster look like a nebula and "vibe our way through the process." And me? I was just trying to keep the peace—and secretly admiring how fiercely passionate they both were. Late nights in the library turned into whispered jokes. Eye contact lingered. Asha’s sarcasm got softer. Esme’s shyness melted into teasing smiles. Somewhere between equations and color palettes, something started simmering—between all three of us. But the closer we got, the messier it became. Because science can explain chemical reactions… But it can’t explain what happens when your heart’s pulled in two directions.