Chapter 4

On Wednesday morning, the bulletin board was packed with students.

The list of competitors for the math competition is out!"

"Of course, Nathan's on it."

"Wait, Melanie's on there, too? She just transferred here!"

Hovering at the edge of the crowd, I heard my name again and again. I squeezed forward. Sure enough, Nathan's and my names were in bright red. George's wasn't there.

"No way!" George's voice cut through the noise. He shoved through the crowd, eyes locked on the list. "This has to be a mistake. I'm always top three in math."

Wilbur Wilson, the director of academic affairs, adjusted his glasses. "The list came from all the teachers after several tests. George, you went the wrong way on the last big midterm problem."

"That's because—" George started.

"Because it was beyond the syllabus?" Wilbur interrupted. "But Melanie and Nathan solved it."

George's face turned crimson. He whipped around, glaring at me. "What trick did you pull?"

I met his stare calmly. "If you mean actually using my own brain, then sure, I pulled that trick."

Snickers broke out in the crowd. George's fists clenched, and then unclenched. He growled, "This isn't over," before storming off.

"Don't let him get to you," Nathan said, suddenly at my side. "He's always been like this. He can't stand losing."

I raised an eyebrow. "You two have history?"

Nathan's lips pressed together. "You could say that."

The bell rang before he could explain more. We headed to class, leaving the conversation unfinished.

That afternoon, in math competition training, Esther announced that Nathan and I would be tutoring a few students who needed extra help, including Giselle.

"Giselle's logical but plays it too safe," Esther remarked, handing me a report. "See if you can push her further."

As I flipped through the report, I was surprised to see that Giselle scored high in creative thinking, but she always fumbled during actual exams. And this version of her didn't match the obedient girl I saw at home.

After school, I found her in the library, buried in math problems.

"Melanie?" she called out, her face brightening instantly. "What are you doing here?"

"Ms. Lewis asked me to help," I said, sitting down. "What's stumping you?"

She slid her workbook over. "Tried three methods on this geometry one, but none seem simple enough."

I studied it, and then sketched a few lines. "Try this angle."

She leaned in, her hair falling over her shoulders, carrying a faint scent of shampoo. Suddenly, she clapped. "Oh! That turns 3D into 2D. Melanie, you're amazing!"

Her admiration made me smile. "You're smart too. You just need to think outside the box."

We lost track of time until it was dark. As we packed up, her notebook slipped, papers scattering.

I bent to help, spotting a page filled with wishes like going shopping with Melanie and watching a movie with Melanie, surrounded by doodled hearts.

Giselle snatched the notebook back, her face scarlet. "Uh... I was just messing around..."

"Are you free this weekend?" I asked, pretending not to notice. "I need new clothes but don't know where to shop."

"I'm free!" Giselle blurted, and then dropped her voice shyly. "I mean... if you don't mind me tagging along."

"Why would I?" I laughed, ruffling her hair. "Having you as my guide sounds perfect."

By the time we left the library, it was already dark outside. The campus was eerily quiet, with just a few streetlights glowing faintly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted George at the corner, speaking into his phone with a grim look.

I pulled Giselle behind a tree, signaling her to stay quiet.

"The list is final. No way to change it now," George muttered. "But the competition's two weeks away. Anything could happen... especially with that transfer student..."

Giselle gripped my sleeve. I squeezed her hand to calm her down.

"What have you found out about Nathan?" George continued. "What's his deal with the Larson family? Nothing? Keep digging. No way he's helping that country bumpkin for free."

A gust of wind rustled leaves. George looked up sharply, and we quickly ducked back.

"That's it for now. Call me if you find anything," he finished, hanging up and striding away.

Once he was gone, Giselle whispered, "Melanie, he's definitely targeting you."

"Yes," I said. "But he mentioned Nathan... Do you know anything?"

She shook her head. "Nathan keeps to himself. Super smart, wins scholarships. But last year, he and George clashed."

"What kind of clash?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure. I just heard George call him a 'busybody' once," she said.

That only deepened my curiosity. But what chilled me most was George saying anything could happen. Just what was he scheming?

When I got home, I checked the school forum. The top post read: [Questions About the Transfer Student's Math Skills]. Inside, "TruthSeeker" hinted that the Larson family had pulled strings for me to be in Class A.

The comments section was blowing up. Some were defending me, others doubting. By page three, the post vanished, deleted by an admin.

Then my phone buzzed. Nathan messaged: [Saw that post? Don't worry. Evidence speaks louder than rumors.]

I replied: [Thanks. But how did you know?]

He texted back: [The admin's a buddy of mine. IP was George's.]

I snorted. I figured it was him.

Nathan messaged me again: [Hey, are you free this weekend? I want to practice more before the competition.]

I hesitated for a moment before typing back: [Is Sunday okay? I already promised Giselle we'd go shopping on Saturday.]

The chat sat there for a while with no response. Finally, a single word came through. [Okay.]

I felt like he wanted to say more.

On Saturday morning, Giselle bounced at my door in a light blue dress, her hair in a fishtail braid, looking like a doll.

"Melanie, I picked a couple of outfits for you!" she said, showing me pictures. "Which style do you like?"

I glanced at the photos. They were all sweet and girly, totally different from my usual minimalist vibe. But seeing her hopeful face, I pointed at the simplest one. "This one looks good."

"I knew you'd like this one." Giselle cheered. "The store's at Central Mall. That's our first stop."

Our parents arranged a car for us. On the way, Giselle chattered nonstop about food spots and hidden stores. Watching her glow, I realized that this might be her first time out without George shadowing her.

"Giselle," I couldn't help asking, "did George always go out with you?"

Her smile dimmed. "Yeah. Almost every time. He said it wasn't safe for me to go out alone."

"What about your friends?" I asked.

"He... didn't like me getting close to them," she murmured, fiddling with her hem. "He said they'd be a bad influence."

I frowned. This wasn't care; it was control.

Central Mall was dazzling, with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and greeters everywhere. It was a world away from the markets I used to visit.

Giselle led me into a boutique, and the salesperson beamed as she greeted us, "Ms. Larson, long time no see! And this is..."

"My sister," Giselle said proudly. "My real sister."

"Oh! No wonder you two look alike," the salesperson said, glancing at me with a hint of surprise. "Right this way, we just got new arrivals."

We spent hours shopping. Giselle had a knack for style. Everything she picked fit me, with a twist of flair.

"With your figure, you look amazing in everything, Melanie," she said, reaching up to fix my collar. "Seriously, with shoulders like yours, you'd look incredible in a blazer."

I laughed and gave her a playful flick on the forehead. "Flattering me, huh?"

"I'm serious!" She pouted. "Oh, can we hit the photobooth? I've never done it before..."

"Never?" I asked in surprise. "Not even once?"

She shook her head. "George said it was lame."

"Come on." I dragged her over. "Today, you can take as many as you want."

We goofed off with poses. Giselle was laughing until her stomach hurt. When the photos were printed, she tucked one into her wallet. "This one's the cutest. I'm keeping it forever."

At noon, we headed to a fancy restaurant. Giselle ordered a spread, her eyes sparkling as she explained each dish. Then her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen, and her face went pale. "It's... George."

"Answer it," I said calmly.

Giselle took a deep breath and hit the answer button. "Hello? I'm with Melanie. No, you don't need to pick us up... We'll come back later..."

George's voice thundered so loud that I could hear it. "Send me your location right now. It's dangerous for you two to be alone outside."

Without hesitation, I grabbed the phone. "George, we're fine. We don't need you butting in. Goodbye." With that said, I hung up.

Giselle's eyes widened. "M-Melanie... he's going to be furious..."

"Let him stew," I said, cutting into the steak and popping it into my mouth. "We're not his property."

Giselle's phone kept ringing, but she didn't pick up. Then a text came in. After reading it, she went pale. "He says he'll tell Dad we're wasting money..."

I snorted. "It's on my card. Dad gave me the allowance, so what's the issue?"

Giselle blinked, and then grinned. "Oh, right. You have your own card now..."

"So," I said, raising my juice. "Let's toast to our very first sister hangout!"

"Cheers!" Giselle tapped her glass. "Melanie, this is the best day ever!"

Looking at her radiant smile, I realized that maybe the best part of coming back to the Larson family was having Giselle.