Chapter 6

I stopped caring about anything related to Jax and threw myself into studying.

At first, Jax would still try to talk to me.

But after I ignored him too many times, he stopped trying.

One day, I overheard his friend ask:

“Jax, why is your childhood friend so quiet these past few days? Did you two fight?”

Jax shrugged it off, “Who knows? She can’t stand me getting close to other girls, so she’s throwing a tantrum.”

“Just keep my distance for a few days, and I’ll get some peace.”

Actually, I didn’t have to follow him.

These past few days, walking to and from school alone, I had much more free time, and things around me felt simpler.

Being alone wasn’t as scary as I imagined; instead, it made me understand what I truly wanted.

When the midterm exam results came out, I got first place in my grade.

As I was organizing my错题本 (error notebook), Jax suddenly approached me.

He had a dark look on his face, striding up to my desk and slamming his hand on my notebook, his voice chilling: “Lily Hayes, was getting first place this time on purpose?”

Startled by the sudden commotion, I looked up at him, a bit confused.

“You know Serena needed this first place,” he said, looking down at me.

When he mentioned Serena, I remembered Jax saying before that she was very pathetic.

If she didn't get first place, she'd be beaten badly.

But what was wrong with me working hard and getting first place myself?

I retorted, “What does that have to do with me?”

“Don’t you have any sympathy? If you’d just gotten one less multiple-choice question right, she wouldn’t have been beaten.” He frowned, suddenly leaning closer, “I know you don’t like me being close to her, but there’s no need to target her like this!”

I was just doing my own thing, and in his eyes, it had become targeting.

It was break time, and there were other students in the classroom.

His voice wasn’t quiet, and I could feel the eyes around me and hear the hushed whispers.

A wave of injustice washed over me, and I heard my voice tremble: “I’m not targeting anyone! Exams are about skill, not about who’s more pathetic!”

“Besides, that’s her family business.” I slowly stood up, looking directly into his angry eyes, “Why should my score pay for your sympathy? You have no right to morally judge me here.”

My deskmate, Chloe, couldn’t help but speak up for me: “Exactly, Jax. You’re totally guilt-tripping her, aren’t you? You earn your own grades. Why should she just give it up? Just because Lily is nice to you, does that mean you can just walk all over her?”

Jax glared coldly at Chloe.

I had a bad feeling.

“Jax!”

A voice interrupted the standoff.

It was Serena.

She ran in, looking panicked, and stood in front of Jax.

“Don’t fight with Lily because of me! It’s all my fault, I didn’t work hard enough, I didn’t score well enough…”

She then looked at me, a look of apology on her face: “Lily, I’m so sorry, truly sorry… Please don’t be mad at Jax, he didn’t mean it, he’s just too worried about me…”

I watched Serena tightly grip Jax’s wrist, then looked at Jax’s slightly softened brow. His eyes were filled with undisguised pity and protectiveness for Serena.

They, one angrily accusing, the other kindly mediating, made it seem like I was the unreasonable outsider who needed to be tolerated.

I bit back my tears, telling myself not to cry.

In that moment, something deep inside my heart shattered completely.

0

To prevent irrelevant people from disturbing my thoughts, I immersed myself in a sea of practice questions, losing track of time.

When I looked up again, the classroom was empty.

Ten minutes had passed since dismissal, and suddenly my stomach hurt, so I went to the restroom.

As soon as I entered a stall, I heard Serena’s voice from outside.

“My eyeshadow is almost rubbed off,” she chuckled. “Help me touch it up again.”

“Jax really believes it?” her friend asked.

“Of course. A rich kid desperate for attention like him totally falls for this stuff. Today, he even argued with Lily because of it.”

The person asked again, “Aren’t you afraid of getting caught someday?”

Serena smiled confidently: “As long as you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything, by the time he’s truly dependent on me, the truth won’t matter anymore.”

I froze, my heart racing, and it took a long moment for me to react.

Serena was no pathetic damsel in distress at all.