Yellow Curtains - Wanda Maximoff x Reader

The Pool

Sreda, 13:25 (Wednesday, 13:25 am)

It had been almost a month since the cabin, and Wanda had developed a foolproof system to keep her thoughts away from you.

Step one, she convinced herself that the almost kiss was a delirium of her mind and that you had simply bent down to pick up the bottle, and she never confessed that she was only paying attention to Vision because she was afraid of being alone. She wouldn't have done that in good conscience, so of course, it was a delusion.

Step two, whenever Wanda's brain persisted in thinking about you - which happened mostly in history class, when it was impossible not to notice you, or when Carol was around, and consequently brought you along - Wanda forced herself to remember that you had a boyfriend.

A handsome, popular, intelligent boyfriend that everyone adored.

The third step was the most childish of all, but Wanda needed ground under her feet after she caught herself checking your Instagram like an obsessed stalker, and after accidentally (as if) visualizing and liking a post after three seconds, to which you replied her with a wink and a 'stop stalking me, Maximoff' that was clearly a joke, but which made Wanda blush so much that Pietro asked if she had a fever in the middle of the cafeteria; Wanda blocked you everywhere. It was childish and made you cast doubtful glances at her for the next few days, but fortunately, you didn't touch the subject.

The last step disgusted her. Vision was a genuinely nice guy, and Wanda was determined to stay with him because that was as it should be. They exchanged numbers, and when he wasn't working, he would call her to talk about anything. She tried to like him as much as she could.

He was the invitation to college parties, so her friends thought the relationship was the best thing Wanda had come up with.

On days like today, when you looked so casual and adorable in a geek hoodie, writing the assignment only two chairs away, Wanda wondered if the whole plan was worth anything.

"Miss Maximoff?"

The whole room looked at her, and Nat gave her a warning nudge. Wanda blinked away from you, blushing heavily at the attention.

"W-what?"

T'Challa laughed softly. "The question, Miss Maximoff." He repeated, and Wanda stared briefly at the board behind them, with several topics to which she paid no attention at all. Seeing her complete confusion, the professor sighed. "Wanda, stay after class. I'd like to have a word with you."

The room giggled, but T'Challa silenced them immediately as Wanda cringed in her chair in shame.

When the period ended, Wanda ignored for the sake of her own sanity, the soft look you cast at her before gathering your books and leaving the room, Natasha engaged in conversation with you and went to the next class period as well.

Wanda dragged herself to T'Chall's desk with her backpack slung over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, sir, I'll try to be more attentive to..." A quick glance at the blackboard. "Sokovian revolutionaries."

T'Challa chuckled softly, pulling from a pile of activities a corrected paper that he held out to Wanda.

"Here, Miss Maximoff." He says. "It's your lowest grade in eight years of school. In your favorite subject, so imagine my surprise."

Wanda swallows dryly, staring at the red F for half a second. "I-I..."

"Wanda, do you need to talk to someone?" T'Challa asked gently. "I know you've had some tough months at home, your parents are present in the school community. If you need to talk to someone, it doesn't have to be a teacher, it can be our psychologist or-"