Chapter 2

By the time I got home, I was completely drenched.

I took a hot bath and had a good cry, letting it all out.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I had already pulled myself together.

I couldn't let those jerks and their crap mess up my future. It just wasn't worth it.

I sat down at my desk and quickly slipped into study mode.

A little after one in the morning, I packed my bag while fighting off sleep, then set the alarm back ten minutes.

In high school, everyone was short on sleep. Yet every morning, I still waited downstairs for Jeffrey.

On our way to school, I'd quiz him on Eloraen vocab since it was his worst subject.

His mother, Eloise, had asked me to help him out.

I also wanted him to score higher and get into a better university.

Thanks to me, Jeffrey's Eloraen grades improved by leaps and bounds, but he never appreciated anything I did.

He always said I was a pain.

He said, "Why do you even care about my Eloraen scores? Maeve, can you stop nagging me? I feel sick just hearing your voice."

I used to smile through it all, pretending his sharp words didn't hurt. I would even talk him into studying a little more.

However, starting tomorrow, I wouldn't be walking to school with Jeffrey anymore.

I wouldn't have to exhaust myself being his free tutor anymore. I could even sleep ten extra minutes.

I pulled out the little notebook I'd put together just for Jeffrey, packed with all those high-frequency SAT questions, and tossed it into the drawer.

Then I snuggled under the blanket and enjoyed a good sleep.

Before I closed my eyes, the comments went crazy.

[No way. Is Maeve not going to help Jeffrey with his Eloraen anymore? How's he supposed to get into his dream university overseas?]

[Whatever. Eleanor is also a star student. If she tutors him, maybe he'll do even better. Imagine them both getting into Beloris University together. That would be awesome.]

I closed my eyes and chuckled.

Did Jeffrey really think he and Eleanor could get into Beloris University together?

As long as I was around, that was nothing but a fantasy.

*****

When I got to class the next morning, Jeffrey was already there.

Eleanor was wrapped in Jeffrey's limited-edition jacket, sitting in my seat with her head practically touching his, both of them grinning as they looked over the same test paper.

Jeffrey must have said something funny, because Eleanor laughed, then lightly hit his arm in a teasing, almost coquettish way.

They looked like a perfect couple. Meanwhile, I was just standing there by myself, stuck in my baggy, plain school uniform.

Finally, Jeffrey realized I was there.

His smile vanished. "Oh, hi."

He shifted uncomfortably and said, "I wasn't trying to ditch you this morning. Eleanor wasn't feeling well all of a sudden, so I went to get her."

Just then, the barrage of comments lit up again.

[Jeffrey totally hates getting up early, but as soon as he heard Eleanor wasn't feeling well, he woke up an hour ahead of time, crossed the whole city, and waited outside her building for her.]

[I'm melting. This is just too sweet.]

I just stared at Jeffrey, calm as ever, ignoring all the chatter in my head.

If I hadn't already seen him for who he really was and fallen out of love, I'd probably still be standing downstairs in the cold, waiting like an idiot.

"Okay," I said, barely reacting. I didn't get upset or anything. I just answered him with zero emotion.

Jeffrey looked genuinely surprised that I wasn't upset at all. He just stood there, a little stunned.

After a moment, he hesitated and said, "Uh, Eleanor's stuck on a problem. Would you mind taking her seat for now?"

Eleanor chimed in, "Sorry, but you know I'm hopeless at physics. Jeffrey is the only one who can explain it in a way I actually understand. Thanks for understanding. This is for you."

She reached out and offered me a bottle of milk.

However, the next second, Jeffrey stopped her.

Jeffrey said with a hint of reproach, "This milk is for you. Your stomach hurts, so you should drink something mild. Maeve doesn't need it."

Eleanor set the milk back on the desk and gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, you heard what Jeffrey said. Maybe I'll get one for you next time, okay?"

I could clearly see the trace of triumph hidden in her smile.

"Don't bother," I said. "Once the class is over, let's switch seats. You two can sit together from now on."

Eleanor was practically glowing with excitement. She jumped at the chance. "Sure."

Jeffrey looked completely caught off guard.

He clearly hadn't expected me to just hand over my spot to Eleanor so easily.

After all, I used to be the one who stubbornly insisted on sitting next to him.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to take it back or say something to change my mind, but after glancing at Eleanor, he ended up saying nothing.

His expression hardened. "Whatever."

I didn't say a word. I just turned and sat down in Eleanor's seat, took my book out of the bag, and started studying.