The teacher, Mrs. Johnson, began handing out the tests, and Alexa's focus snapped back to the task at hand. She took a deep breath, scanned the questions, and began to work.
Richard, however, seemed to be taking a different approach. He leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the ceiling, and began to tap his pen against his desk.
Alexa's eyes flicked towards him, her mind racing with suspicion. Was he cheating? Or was he just that confident?
As the minutes ticked by, Alexa found herself growing more and more agitated. She couldn't concentrate with Richard's constant tapping and the nagging feeling that he was going to outdo her.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Can you please stop that?" she hissed, her eyes flashing with annoyance.
Richard's gaze dropped, and he raised an eyebrow. "Stop what?" he asked, his voice innocent.
Alexa's eyes narrowed. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Richard's smile returned, and he leaned forward, his voice low. "I think you're just distracted because you're worried you're going to lose."
Alexa's face burned with indignation. How dare he!
