Fifteen years earlier, Camille Ashwood sat in English class at Meadowlark High when Dusty Tucker, seated behind her, asked to borrow a pencil. Camille, new to the school and still finding her place, noted Dusty’s easy charm and how he regularly stopped by her locker and carried her books when they were headed the same way. She contrasted Dusty with the wealthy, entitled boys she had known elsewhere and appreciated Meadowlark’s welcoming small-town feel.

Camille recalled how she persuaded her controlling parents to let her attend Meadowlark High, arguing for its AP classes and cost-effectiveness. She recognized that what her parents valued most was control and quiet, and that they relented only after months of her calm persistence.

Back in class, Dusty extended his familiar routine by asking for paper in addition to a pencil, teasing her about her college-ruled sheets. As Mr. Watson began reviewing feedback on recent papers and handed out a sentence-structure worksheet, Dusty wrote on the page she had given him and then tossed a folded note onto her desk after she finished her work.

Encouraged by Dusty’s mouthed plea to open it, Camille unfolded the note to find a warm, flirtatious questionnaire. Dusty complimented her name, mused about a special nickname, and asked a series of personal questions—favorite color, food, recent TV laugh, siblings, soccer schedule and jersey number, feelings about Meadowlark High, birthday, favorite class, and hobbies like hiking—ending with confidence that she would finish the assignment early.

The note made Camille grin, and she checked to ensure no one noticed before picking up her pencil to write her answers. The moment marked the beginning of a more intimate, attentive rapport between Camille and Dusty, rooted in curiosity and gentle flirtation.