Chapter 3

Eleanor's seat was right in the middle of the second row. It had a clear view of the board, and it was easy to catch the teacher after class if I needed help.

Jeffrey, on the other hand, was always lounging in the very last row because he couldn't be bothered.

I used to sit back there with him, quietly enduring the foul smells drifting in from outside the back door.

However, I wouldn't do that anymore.

To make sure Eleanor wouldn't change her mind about giving up such a prime spot, I told our classmates in the front row after the class that we had made a seat-swap.

Since Eleanor had agreed, they felt nothing strange.

By the time I got back to class, Eleanor was already back at her seat.

I started gathering my things from my desk, too.

I pulled out stacks of papers and sorted them.

Jeffrey watched me, looking pretty upset.

Once I finished everything, he finally said, "Are you really ditching me?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm done hanging onto you."

Jeffrey paused, frowning. "Maeve, why are you being so dramatic? We've known each other since we were kids. Even if I get a girlfriend, you can still hang out with me."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Did he want me to stay by his side as a backup or just let him mess with me?

I shook my head and dug my hand into my bag.

The next second, my blood went cold.

There was nothing there.

I snapped my head up, locking eyes with Jeffrey. Then I couldn't help raising my voice, a little shaky. "Jeffrey, did you take my pen?"

The moment the words left my mouth, the classroom fell silent, and everyone turned to stare at us.

Jeffrey looked away, clearly uneasy.

He cleared his throat and said, "Eleanor said she liked your pen, so I just gave it to her."

"That's my stuff. Who are you to make decisions for me?" My voice trembled with anger. "And you know exactly how much that pen means to me."

With everyone staring, Jeffrey was clearly losing his patience.

He lost it and yelled at me, "Enough. Just tell me how much it costs, and I'll send you the money, alright? Can you stop making such a fuss? You're driving me crazy."

I suddenly felt helpless. I clenched my fists so hard that my nails dug into my palm.

That pen was all I had left from my grandma.

Back when I was a kid, my parents were always working, so it was my grandparents who actually took care of me.

When she died, I cried until my eyes were swollen and my voice was gone.

When Jeffrey realized I hadn't been to school for days, he was so worried that he ditched class and made his way out to my home just to check on me.

It was pouring rain that day, and the roads were a muddy mess.

Jeffrey showed up in his soaking-wet clothes. When he saw me, he didn't know what to do.

"Maeve, please stop crying, okay? Don't be scared. I'm here with you," he said.

He awkwardly crouched in front of me, looking up, trying to comfort me. "Your grandma has become a star. Whenever you look up, you'll see her. She'll always be with you."

I struggled to use sign language. "But when it rains, there are no stars."

Jeffrey paused, then held me tightly.

After the funeral, Jeffrey gave me a painting, on which was a starry sky.

He said, "Look, now you have stars that will never go away. Whenever you see them, you'll know your grandmother is here with you."

I had always remembered the kindness he once showed me.

Therefore, even as we grew up and Jeffrey started pulling away, even when I knew he was head over heels for Eleanor, there was still a part of me that liked him.

However, just now, even that last trace of feeling disappeared.

Just then, Eleanor came over, pouting. "Maeve, come on, it's just a pen. Why don't you just consider it a gift to me?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Let's be honest. Did I actually give it to you, or did you just help yourself? Taking something without asking is stealing. Don't play dumb with me. You know the law."

Eleanor's face fell instantly.