Chapter 4

"Oh my god! Charles is so handsome!"

"He really is! Tiff, did you see that? Charles was looking at you!"

Tiffany's classmates were teasing her.

Feeling the attention on her, Tiffany lowered her head shyly.

Seeing Tiffany's bashful expression, Charles smiled wider.

Tiffany was pretty, with her wide eyes and long, straight hair. She looked gentle and docile, the type of person who was loved by students and teachers alike.

Right after his match, Charles ran toward Tiffany.

The boys playing with him whistled.

"Ooh, you guys are together!"

"Yeah, are you guys dating?"

The voices cheering them on grew louder and louder.

Seeing this, Shawn frowned. "Class is starting soon. What's all this noise?"

"That's right! Tiffany doesn't even deserve Charles!" Sophia said unhappily.

Charles had almost reached Tiffany when suddenly, a loud shout came from the entrance of the gym building. "Yvonne, are you okay?"

"Someone help! We need to get her to the nurse!"

Charles froze. When he turned around, he saw a crowd rushing toward the entrance.

Did something happen to Yvonne?

"Shit!" He tossed his basketball to a nearby student and sprinted toward the gym.

"Charles, where are you going?" Tiffany's friend, Penelope Carter, shouted after him.

Tiffany's expression was dark.

People always said that Charles treated Yvonne differently, and here was the proof.

"Move! Move aside!" Charles pushed through the crowd, immediately catching sight of Yvonne at the bottom of the stairs.

Scattered all around her were various sports equipment, and her knee was bleeding. There were also scrapes on her legs and arms.

"Yvie!" Frowning, Charles hurried forward and checked her injuries.

If Yvonne got hurt on his watch, his mom would kill him.

Charles' expression was dark. "How did this happen? You should've watched your step coming down the stairs!"

"Charles, Yvonne got hurt because she was getting your sports equipment for you. Why are you yelling at her?" Shawn said, also frowning. He helped Yvonne up. "I'll take you to the nurse."

"Shawn, I'm okay. I really am," Yvonne insisted, though tears were already brimming in her eyes. Biting her lip and holding back her tears, she continued, "I'm sorry, Charles. I really couldn't carry all of this myself. Please don't be angry."

Charles was dumbstruck.

Was Yvonne crying?

Was Yvonne actually crying?

Meanwhile, the students gathered around them were giving Charles strange looks.

How could a guy make a girl who had a crush on him carry such heavy equipment?

And not only that, he was now yelling at her for getting hurt?

"What's going on?" Just then, their gym teacher, Kyle Richmond, pushed through the crowd into the hallway.

When he saw Yvonne on the floor, surrounded by scattered sports equipment, his face darkened. "Charles Lambert, what is wrong with you? How could you ask a girl to carry so many things?"

"I…" Charles was at a loss for words.

Kyle turned to Shawn. "Take her to the nurse, please."

"Got it."

With a supportive arm around Yvonne, Shawn accompanied her to the infirmary.

Seeing this, Charles immediately stepped forward. "I'll go with her!"

Kyle glared at him. "No, you're not. You're cleaning this up, and then you're running ten laps around the field!"

Charles opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

He looked at the sports equipment scattered across the ground.

Had Yvonne been carrying so many things around for him all this time?

How stupid. Why didn't she ever tell him that they were too heavy for her?

…

Meanwhile, Shawn was perplexed when he saw Yvonne smiling widely as she limped beside him. He couldn't help but ask, "Why are you smiling?"

"Because it's funny," Yvonne replied.

It was so cathartic to watch Charles get embarrassed. She doubted he would ever dare make her carry his equipment again.

"I should just carry you. The infirmary is still pretty far."

Their school's infirmary was in a separate building, which was quite some distance away.

"I'm fine," Yvonne said, waving her hand dismissively. "I can still walk."

Shawn looked at her silently for a moment. Then, he suddenly stepped in front of her and crouched down. "I'll carry you."

Yvonne blinked.

Shawn had a refined and scholarly air about him, but his back was unexpectedly broad. Normally, he was quiet and reserved, barely speaking in class, so she did not remember much about him from her past life.

It was only now that Yvonne realized that Shawn was a really nice person.

"Well then, I'll…"

Yvonne was just about to accept his offer when a deep voice interrupted them. "What are you two doing?"

Yvonne froze when she heard that voice.

Shawn was the first to react. He stood up, hesitating as he looked at the man standing before them.

William was in his usual suit, exuding an air of aloof authority. He was cold and unapproachable, and his brows were slightly furrowed.

Yvonne could hear the displeasure in his voice.

Shawn stepped in front of Yvonne, shielding her, and said calmly, "Sir, the admin office is over there."

"Will…"

Shawn froze at Yvonne's greeting.

William stepped forward, his voice turning even colder. "I'll ask again, what were you guys doing earlier?"

He loomed over Shawn oppressively.

"If I remember correctly," William continued, "You two should be in class right now. What are you doing here?"

"I…"

Before Yvonne could say anything, William spotted the bruise on her right leg and the scrape on her arm.

His frown deepened. Stepping forward, he crouched down and examined her leg. "How did you get hurt?"

Yvonne replied softly, "I was getting sports equipment for class and…"

"Why were you asked to get sports equipment?" William asked.

Shawn stepped up. "It was my fault. I should have helped her."

William gave him a cursory glance.

Yvonne spoke up immediately. "No, it wasn't him. It was Charles. He asked me to get the sports equipment for him, and I slipped and fell down the stairs."

"Has that idiot lost his mind? Why did he make you get the equipment?"

"Don't be mad, Will," Yvonne said with a pout. "It's Charles' fault."

"Matthew, take Yvie to the hospital," William ordered.