Chapter 149
Summer cast one last desolate glance at the bulletin board where the test scores were posted. Her lips were sealed in a tight line as she turned on her heel and walked away.
Madeline watched her friend’s retreating figure, heaving a deep sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world. Even though Summer didn’t voice her disappointment, Madeline knew the sting was there, buried deep. After all, Summer had poured every ounce of her spare time into studying, a heartbreaking and admirable dedication.
But what could you do… when you were outshone by a country bumpkin foster child?
Shaking her head as if to clear her mind of this unsettling thought, Madeline hurried to catch up with Summer.
On the other hand, Mirabella hadn’t bothered to check the test scores on the bulletin board. She knew her score well enough. Annette had called her into the office last week and given her the rundown.
As for her ranking, she had researched the score trends for Parkside High before she even enrolled, and with her latest scores in mind, she figured she might not have snagged the top spot, but second place was well within reach. After all, English was her Achilles‘ heel, much
h to her chagrin.
Jenna returned from viewing the scores and found Mirabella in a state of Zen–like calm, which did nothing to soothe her own tangled emotions. Ever since she’d heard about Mirabella’s struggles with English, she had been secretly reveling in the potential downfall. Having been on the receiving end of life’s blows too often, she thought fate owed her a bit of schadenfreude. The thought of Mira fåcing her Waterloo was a delicious one indeed.
But as it turned out, Waterloo was a pipe dream–at least for Mirabella.
She’s a rock–solid first place in the grade!
Perhaps sensing Jenna’s begrudging gaze, Mirabella turned her head and, in a’rare moment of outreach, asked, “Are you done staring? How did you do?”
“You got 692 points. Top of the class,” Jenna said, pointedly not mentioning her own score. After a brief pause, she added with a mix of sarcasm and awe. “And here you were, saying English isn’t your strong suit. You’re just playing with us!”
“If English wasn’t my weak point, I probably wouldn’t have scored 692,” Mirabella responded with a casual shrug.
At that, Jenna’s mouth twitched in a wry expression. It was always the unexpected jabs that hurt the most, but luckily, she was used to it. Shaking her head, Jenna continued, “You know Vincent from the Prodigy Class was the perpetual top scorer before you showed up. He was only one point behind you in this exam.”
12:23
JJenna held up a finger for emphasis. “One point, do you get how close that is? He migh overtake you next time, especially with your so–called weak subject”
At the mention of the name Vincent, Mirabella recalled a competitor who had placed just behind her in the BrainSpark Nationals, taking second place both times,
“Vincent’s quite the proud one. Now that you’ve parachuted in and snatched his top spot, you’re probably his public enemy number one,” Jenna mused, resting her chin in her hands before continuing. “But hey, Vincent’s drop dead gorgeous. If he’s got his sights set on you, it might not be such a bad thing.”
Mirabella glanced at Jenna, who was practically swooning over the guy, and quipped lightly. “Drooling much?”
Jenna instinctively touched her lips, then realized she’d been teased and shot Mirabella a pouty plare, “Queen Mira, you’re getting sneakler by the day.”
Titting her head, Mirabella’s brows arched in amusement. Her carefree gaze was tinged with lazy defiance, and her stunning features once again left Jenna swallowing hard.
Forget Vincent: Mira was the epitome of cool.
After the test scores were released, any doubts about Mirabella that had been circulating around Parkside High dissipated by the end of the morning.
As for Summer, the exam results left her in a state of irritable unrest throughout the entire day.
