It had been two weeks since Spring Fling, and Malik Johnson's life had never been so main character coded.
He went from being "cube boy" to a hallway name. People fist-bumped him. Sixth graders whispered about him. Even Coach Harris, the gym teacher who hated everyone equally, gave him a nod of approval.
But with clout… comes consequence.
The Return of Dante
Dante "Rollback" Rivers had been licking his wounds ever since Layla ethered him at Spring Fling. He went silent on Instagram. Deleted his TikTok. Rumor had it he joined a secret Discord server called "#GetBackMode."
And then… he returned.
New haircut. New fit. New cologne strong enough to evacuate the science wing.
And a mission:
Win Layla back.
Malik & Layla: Getting Closer
Meanwhile, Malik and Layla were thriving. They texted every night (Layla started sending voice notes where she lowkey sounded sleepy and cute). They shared Takis at lunch. She even gave him her extra Chromebook charger—that's relationship level three in middle school terms.
But Malik wasn't sure what they were.
He wanted to ask.
Wanted to say, "Yo, is this, like... us?"
But every time he tried, his mouth turned into dial-up internet.
The Challenger Appears
One Monday morning, Malik walked into school and saw it:
Dante. At Layla's locker.
Smiling. Posting a TikTok with her.
Caption: "Had to spin the block 😈"
Malik's stomach dropped into his Crocs.
He played it cool. Just walked past, earbuds in. But the whispers started immediately:
"Yo, you see Dante's comeback TikTok?"
"He brought roses to school."
"I heard he's in therapy. That's growth."
The War of Subtle Flexes
For the next week, it was a cold war.
Dante started walking Layla to class again.
Malik responded by dropping his "30-second Rubik's Cube solve" TikTok—and it blew up, 25k views.
Dante joined the drama club and landed the lead role in Romeo and Juliet (Layla was Juliet).
Malik started tutoring her in math, lowkey roasting Romeo's inability to solve for X.
The tension was thicker than cafeteria chili.
Jamal's Pep Talk
"Bro," said Jamal, spinning a fidget spinner dramatically, "this ain't about Dante. It's about you. You got here by being Malik. Nerdy, bold, emotionally available Malik. Don't lose that."
Malik nodded slowly. "You really be talking like a wise anime sensei."
"I am one," Jamal said. "Also, I heard Layla's about to break up with Romeo. She's been calling him 'Shakespeare Lite.'"
The Rizz Resurgence
Friday hit. The school hosted "Open Mic Day." Malik wasn't going to sign up… until Layla asked, "Are you performing?"
And he—fueled by vibes, peer pressure, and possibly Capri-Sun—nodded.
He walked up to the mic.
Pulled out a Rubik's Cube.
And while solving it with one hand, he freestyled:
"I ain't Romeo,But I'm real with it though.Don't need lines to get love,Just show you and let it grow."
Cube clicks.Solved.
"Layla, this ain't Shakespeare…But I'd still write a hundred verses just to sit next to you at lunch."
Silence.
Then cheers. Screams. A standing ovation from the anime club. Ari the Oracle shed a single tear.
Layla walked up after, grinning.
"You're such a dork," she said.
"Your dork?" Malik asked, lowkey terrified.
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. My dork."
Post-Credits Scene
Dante posted a TikTok later titled:"Sometimes you lose the girl to a Rubik's Cube."
Top comment:"L + ratio + he solved that cube faster than your character arc."
Malik Johnson didn't mean to become a legend. He just liked Rubik's Cubes, anime, and Layla Martinez. But fate had other plans. After the events of Spring Fling, Malik's name was etched into the stone tablet of Jefferson Middle School Mythology.
And as all middle school historians know:
When one king rises, another always returns.
Section I: The Forgotten History of Dante "Rollback" Rivers
Before his downfall, Dante was untouchable. He wasn't just a sneakerhead—he was the Founder of Sneak Parliament, an elite underground group of kids who met during 4th period gym to trade and rate fits. He once got ISS for sneaking Yeezys into Dress Down Friday, but it only made him more famous.
Layla and Dante dated on and off for three semesters—an eternity in middle school time. Their breakup in early spring was cataclysmic and split the school into factions:
Team Layla: Mostly the cheer squad, band kids, and the school librarian Mrs. Owens.
Team Dante: Sneakerheads, theater kids, and Coach Harris (for some reason).
Team "They Were Toxic Anyway": Neutral parties who benefited from the drama.
After Layla publicly ended things at Spring Fling, Dante vanished into exile. Rumors said he trained in secret—mentally, emotionally, and physically (in his uncle's garage, doing push-ups while watching motivational edits).
Section II: The Malik & Layla Saga Deepens
Malik and Layla had chemistry. They weren't dating—not officially—but people started calling them "Cube & Crown", a nod to Malik's nerd rep and Layla's baddie royalty.
They had inside jokes. Shared playlists. She let him hold her phone while she tied her shoes. That's sacred trust.
But Malik knew Layla was layered.
She wasn't just the confident queen everyone saw—she was also the girl who got nervous before tests, who still kept a Tamagotchi alive in 2025, and who once admitted she was afraid of ceiling fans because "they look like they're plotting."
He liked all of it. But he also knew: if Dante was coming back, it wasn't just to win.It was to reclaim the crown.
Section III: The Council of Rizz
To prepare, Malik turned to an ancient force.
The Council of Rizz—a secret group of middle schoolers who once reigned supreme in their respective domains:
Jamal: Tactician. Strategist. Watches Death Note too much.
Ari "The Oracle": Runs the gossip web. Knows who's crushing on who before they do.
Mel: Sixth-grade genius and meme lord. Communicates mostly through obscure SpongeBob references.
Kiki: Layla's ex–best friend turned neutral third party. Knows Layla's dating patterns better than Layla.
They met behind the book fair shelves.
"Dante's back," Malik said.
"We know," Ari replied. "He wore a turtleneck on Tuesday. That's revenge energy."
"We need a plan."
Jamal leaned forward. "You're not just fighting for love. You're fighting to maintain balance in the ecosystem."
"What should I do?" Malik asked.
Ari smirked. "You don't chase the crown. You become the crown."
Section IV: The Great Rizz-Off
A challenge was inevitable.
The tension boiled over at Open Mic Day. It was a school-wide event where kids recited poetry, sang off-key, and occasionally dropped emotional confessions that made teachers very nervous.
Layla was emceeing.
Dante signed up first. Walked up with a single rose. Recited a Shakespeare monologue. Took off his hoodie to reveal a custom shirt that said:"I'm still him."
The crowd lost it. Even Mr. Richards clapped.
Then Malik took the stage. No rose. No theatrics. Just his Rubik's Cube and his truth.
"I don't got bars like Dante.I'm not in the theater.But when I look at you, Layla,I don't see a role—I see real.
I don't need to be Romeo,I'd rather be me.No mask, no lines,Just Malik.And maybe I'm not flashy,But I'll sit next to you during your math breakdownsAnd help you solve problems—on paper and in life."
He clicked the cube shut. Solved. One-handed.
Silence.
Then—explosion.
Screams. Cheers. Someone passed out (Mel). Even Coach Harris muttered, "That boy got heart."
Layla just smiled.
Walked right up.
Took his hand.
"Let's get out of here, Cube Boy."
Section V: Post-Battle Fallout
Dante joined student government and started dating a theater girl from another school. He claimed he was "too evolved for petty romance."
Ari the Oracle updated the Social Ecosystem Chart™ and officially listed Malik and Layla as "Stage 3: Entangled but Emotionally Stable."
Sneak Parliament was dissolved after Dante's departure. Malik was offered membership. He declined.
Layla and Malik? Still texting. Still walking each other to class. And still denying they're "together," even though she changed his contact name to "My Nerd 💛."