Madelyn stopped in her tracks when she realized it was George calling her. She wondered, 'Why is Ethan at the school at this time?'However, she had no choice but to get into Ethan's car, taking the passenger seat.The car was warm, thanks to the air conditioning.Sitting in the car, Ethan appeared pale and weak. He had his hand pressed against his mouth, coughing a few times. His breathing was labored, as if he was feeling uncomfortable.Neither of them spoke. After a while, Madelyn broke the silence, "Why are you here today? You're not feeling well. Do you need to go to the hospital?" she said with concern."It's just a common cold, nothing serious," Ethan replied.Madelyn nodded in response.Ethan's voice was soft as he asked, "Yesterday, Yvonne mentioned that Mr. Jardin couldn't find you when he was here to pick you up after school. Where did you go?""He was here to pick me up?" Madelyn responded, a bit puzzled. She wondered, 'Wasn't he here for Yvonne?'Ethan nodded, "Yv
Yvonne's performance was pretty impressive. She rarely did her homework, and she occasionally skipped classes. It seemed like she could perform well academically effortlessly.Today, Yvonne had once again skipped the Math Olympiad training class. Albert seemed unfazed and began teaching at the blackboard.In the final period, the homeroom teacher, Hailey, made an announcement. There would be a parent-teacher meeting this Saturday, and every parent was expected to attend. Additionally, there was a camp during the upcoming break, and if anyone wanted to participate, they needed to sign up. The camp was organized by Ventrocloud High School and was open to the entire school.Madelyn stashed the camp participation form into her drawer.She didn't need to think twice about the parent-teacher meeting. Hayson had never attended any of her parent-teacher meetings before. In the past, she had convinced Zach to attend as her parent.But this time, it seemed unlikely that anyone would show up
Forrest asked, "Satisfied?""I didn't mean it that way," Madelyn replied, looking at the generous portion of chicken. She knew she wouldn't be able to finish it all."And you're not even happy when I give it to you? Geez, you're really hard to please," Forrest remarked.In reality, Madelyn had only wanted to express her frustration.After finishing their meal and heading back, Forrest unexpectedly asked her to tutor him. Madelyn thought, 'Normally at this time, he should be at the bar hanging out with some pretty girls. Now he's voluntarily asking to study.'It was six o'clock, and the sky was already dark.They walked to the classroom building.Madelyn said, "Let's do so tomorrow instead. You're not fully recovered yet; take a day to rest.""If you're not down in ten minutes, I'll come up there myself," Forrest responded.Madelyn believed he would follow through with his threat. So, in the end, she compromised.As Madelyn packed her belongings and prepared to leave, Yvonne s
Yvonne continued, "Are you trying to keep Ethan hanging on while also being with Forrest, Madelyn? I'm curious, what's your true intention? Why not just be honest?"As Madelyn pondered the situation, she thought, 'Is this how Yvonne see it? Did Ethan feel the same way when he learned about Forrest and me last night?'Meeting Yvonne's gaze directly, Madelyn maintained her composure and responded, "Let me clarify a few things."She began to explain, "Who I spend time with and what I choose to do is my personal business. Ethan has been supportive before, and I'm grateful for that. However, it doesn't mean I'll simply go along with his feelings for me. If you all believe I should distance myself from him, I'm willing to do so." She added, "This is a matter concerning your family, and it's unrelated to me. If you insist on pressuring me to make a choice, I'll stand by the decision I've made now."Furthermore, Madelyn recognized her own responsibility toward Forrest. Yet, even if she did
Inside the library, Madelyn brought out a math paper she had created herself and handed it over to Forrest. The paper had simple problems and was just half a page long.Usually, finishing it would take around thirty minutes, which was just enough time for her to also commit the Etlinish words to memory and even tackle the Etlinish reading comprehension.Not wanting to make Forrest feel pressured, Madelyn refrained from hovering around to observe him work.After the passing of thirty minutes, whether he completed the paper or not, she would collect it.Giving the paper a quick look, Madelyn noticed that he hadn't written down a few of the most basic math formulas.Ultimately, he achieved a score of twenty points. She noted this in the upper right corner of the paper. Those twenty points were granted for his effort in attempting each problem.Madelyn sighed one after another, pondering, "Forrest, what on earth have you been doing these past two years?"Forrest cast his pen aside,
Zach's chilling aura brushed against them.Yvonne glanced disdainfully at Forrest and remarked, "Madelyn, weren't you supposed to be helping him with his studies? It looks more like you two are on a date. Don't tell me you've actually fallen for this bastard? Why don't you ever listen to what I say?" She was so frustrated that she almost stomped her foot.Noticing the test paper on the table, Yvonne smirked, "Twenty points? Seriously, Forrest? Your inadequacy is the same whether it's in the Arnold family or at school. You might end up being looked down by my brother throughout your life, like a stepping stone, without much future ahead."Forrest, hands in his pockets, toyed with his lighter and chuckled, "At least I'm not in a hurry to please others.""How dare you!" Yvonne suddenly approached him and raised her hand.A sharp sound echoed.SLAP!The noise drew the attention of a few library-goers."Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like that. Just a lowly ente
Madelyn spoke without holding back, unsure of how many ears were listening.While she didn't fully grasp what Forrest had experienced, she knew she must stand firmly by his side in this moment.Forrest had risked his life to save her. If he could selflessly protect her, why couldn't she find the strength to stand up for him? Especially now, when Yvonne had unfairly struck him, causing doubt to cloud his usually confident demeanor.With her books in hand, Madelyn exited the library alongside Forrest.Yvonne shouted, "Wait!"But their steps remained steadfast forward."Happy?" Zach's tone turned frosty, catching Yvonne off guard.His cold gaze bore into her, sending shivers down her spine. The once-warm library seemed to chill as Yvonne felt an icy atmosphere envelop her. It was a terrifying presence she had never encountered before."Wh-What do you mean?" She stammered.Zach said nothing and walked away, his pace swift.Yvonne had to hurry to keep up.When he got into the car
Madelyn asked, "Do you want to take a shower?"Forrest straightened up, his eyebrow raised in surprise. "What are you trying to do to me? Put away your dirty thoughts."Madelyn was speechless, thinking, 'What the hell is he thinking all day?'She went to her room and fetched a bathrobe for him. "It's brand new, never been worn."Forrest took it from her, "Oh, it's pink."After this, Madelyn went to freshen up herself. She had already showered at school earlier, but yesterday, she had refrained from doing so due to his presence. Once she had taken care of everything else, she left the bathroom for him.As she was about to close the door, Forrest's voice echoed, "I'll also aim for Ventropolis University."With a warm smile, Madelyn responded, "Got it. Sleep well, good night.""Good night."The next morning, Madelyn finished her preparations and found Forrest in the kitchen. He stood with a fry pan in one hand and another hand in his pocket, expertly cooking pasta.Seeing him co