Chapter 107
Scott offered a sheepish smile. Judging by Wade’s demeanor, he knew it was no longer prudent to suggest a meeting with Summer. He shook his head and said, “It’s nothing.”
- Wade didn’t press further. He glanced at his watch, stood up, and announced, “We should be heading out.”
Mr. Hammond rose from his seat. “Alright, let’s grab a bite before you head back to Riverdale.”
“Sure,” Wade replied, raising his hand to signal there was no need for a formal farewell. He then left the office.
Scott nodded at Mr. Hammond and followed Wade out.
Back in the classroom, Mirabella returned to her routine, deliberately ignoring the varying looks from her classmates that seemed to change with each passing day. The first thing she did was dive into her books. After the harsh lesson of losing precious points, she concluded that she hadn’t studied hard enough. It was time for some serious reflection!
Jenna observed Mira, who now seemed to radiate an aura of formidable combat power as if one could get hurt just by getting too close. Jenna couldn’t help but touch her nose in wonder. This girl had returned from the teacher’s office transformed, obviously having clarified what went wrong on the test, and the blow to her pride was evident.
Feeling like Mirabella’s supportive friend, Jenna believed that while she couldn’t be much help academically, she could offer consolation in times of disappointment. She strategized for a moment before gently poking Mirabella’s arm. “Hey. Queen Mira, don’t beat yourself up. It’s just a wrong answer on a test. You’re still top nationwide, so it’s really not a big deal.”
Mirabella turned her head, her deep eyes landing on Jenna with a weighty gaze, After a moment, she said somberly, “No, you don’t understand the agony of being penalized for an answer that’s beyond the syllabus.”
Jenna, a bit confused, sputtered, “What? What’s this ‘agony of a beyond–the–syllabus answer‘ you speak of?”
After several seconds, Mirabella shook her head and looked away, choosing not to elaborate further.
Jenna was left wondering if she had just been subtly insulted for her intelligence. After pondering Mirabella’s words, Jenna’s eyes suddenly widened in realization, “Wait, Queen Mira, you got penalized for that?”
Without looking up, Mirabella confirmed. “Yes, even though my answers were correct, I still lost ten points.” She was clearly not pleased.
Jenna was dumbfounded. So, was her assumption that Mira was devastated because of a wrong answer just her imagination?
She was so wrong. Mira would never be daunted, not in this lifetime.
With a heavy sigh, Jenna silently pulled out her textbook. If she didn’t buckle down, she feared she wouldn’t even deserve to be disappointed.
After the last class of the afternoon, Mirabella packed her things and left the classroom. As she descended the stairs of the academic building, fate would have it that she bumped into Summer, marking only the second encounter of the semester. The previous one was by the school gate.
Mirabella’s expression remained unchanged, merely glancing at Summer before averting her gaze and continuing toward the school exit.
Summer paused, seemingly surprised to see Mirabella, too. The competition results had soured her mood, which was why she left the classroom later than usual today. Had she known she’d run into Mirabella, she would have left earlier. Though frustrated internally, Summer’s face didn’t betray her feelings, like two strangers indifferent to each other’s presence. She adjusted the strap of her purse and walked towards the school gate, albeit at a slower pace than usual.
