"Madelyn," a tall girl with a pretty face said, stepping closer, "wasn't there a dead mouse in this bag before? How can you still use it? Aren't you worried about getting sick?" She looked at Madelyn's lunchbox with a look of distaste.Another girl added, "You're the only one at Ventrocloud High who packs lunch. Are you short on money? If you need help, just say so! We can lend you some."A third girl smirked, trying to provoke. "Serena, Madelyn doesn't care about you. Don't hang out with her, or you'll get dirty too."Madelyn quickly zipped her backpack and stood up, slamming her hand on the table. "Who did you just call dirty? Say that again. I dare you." While she rarely showed her anger, that didn't mean she couldn't stand up for herself.She looked straight at the three girls. "Why so quiet now? What do you mean by 'dirty'? Michelle, isn't your family in construction? Lorrie, Jenny... your families work with them, right? Two years ago, didn't your companies build Blossom Haven
Ethan was determined to meet Madelyn at school. Surgery or no surgery, he found his strength from her presence.Watching her from a distance, he was mesmerized by the wind playing with her long hair. She looked serene by the lake, an image that he would always remember."Stay here," Ethan told George, not taking his eyes off Madelyn."Understood, sir," George responded.Madelyn sat comfortably on a bench, her eyes pulled to the beautiful lake view. She happily munched on the snacks from her lunchbox, always loving the delicious foods Rosario made for her.Suddenly, a figure caught Madelyn's eye.She looked over and spotted the good-looking teen she had seen at the hospital recently. 'But... his legs...' She noticed a glimpse of a blue tattoo on his arm, just under his sleeve, and another one peeking from his collar.As the wind ruffled his hair, the teenager in the wheelchair stopped next to her. He looked at her and smiled warmly. "Funny seeing you here again," he said.Madelyn
Across the lake, a small group of people approached, and Timothy was among them. Even from afar, he could see Madelyn, deep in conversation with a guy in a wheelchair. He noticed her occasional bright smiles, showing she was genuinely enjoying their talk.Jadie and her roommate, Claire Yelton, were also part of the group. The two girls chatted, with Claire taking in the beauty of Ventrocloud High's environment. "This place is stunning! That swan lake might be bigger than our entire football field, right Jadie?"Jadie chuckled, "It's huge, alright. I'd probably get lost without a guide."Timothy subtly nudged Adrian and tilted his head toward Madelyn. Adrian looked over and took in the scene. 'Who's that with Madelyn?' he thought. 'I've never seen him before. Could it be that after realizing Forrest isn't into her, she's moved on? But why would she choose someone in a wheelchair? That's... unexpected.'..."It was really nice chatting with you," Madelyn said with a sincere smile.
Madelyn continued, "You're aware of the situation I'm dealing with at school. I don't want to burden you with my problems."Serena responded, slightly puzzled, "Why Lorville, of all places? It's just a little town on the outskirts. But that aside, even if we aren't close, I hope you won't push me away when I try to talk to you."Madelyn nodded, her expression softening, "If you can respect my boundaries and studies, I won't shut you out."Overjoyed, Serena exclaimed, "Madelyn, you're the best!" and hugged her tightly.Madelyn had her reservations about Serena's sudden wish for friendship. Throughout their school years in Madelyn's past life, they'd had only minimal contact—just the usual pleasantries and the occasional nod. It was like they existed in parallel lines, and there was a real possibility they could someday pass by each other without acknowledgment.As she walked, Forrest appeared ahead. His black denim jacket contrasted against the stark white of the cast encasing his
Forrest roughly nudged the chunky guy snoozing beside Madelyn. Startled awake, he blinked in confusion."Get lost!" Forrest yelled.The guy was born into sudden wealth thanks to his family's booming livestock business, wasn't known for much other than his frequent naps. His schoolwork often had evidence of his drool. Seeing Forrest, he quickly understood and got up, freeing the spot.Forrest deftly moved the chair and settled beside Madelyn, his hand casually resting on the chair's back. His other hand, encased in a striking cast, stood out noticeably. His stylish sneakers, likely from some high-end brand, tapped lightly on the floor, giving him a somewhat roguish look."You know Jadie White, right?" he asked.Madelyn put her pen down. "Yeah, I know her. She's my father's adopted daughter. And the guy she calls her brother? He's the person my dad took in. But neither of them is actually related to me by blood."Timothy tilted his head with a mischievous glint. "They're all adopte
After finishing her last set of chemistry practice papers, Madelyn couldn't shake off her restlessness. She frowned, trying to make sense of Forrest's strange behavior. 'What's up with Forrest? Is he acting crazy, or did I accidentally do something to make him think I like him? Maybe it's because I helped him pick up his stuff the other day, and someone took a picture, and now he thinks I'm chasing him?'Feeling an urgent need to know more, Madelyn grabbed her phone and quickly opened the school's online forum where the photo had been shared without her knowledge. She hadn't fully read the comments on that post, but she was curious to find out what people were saying. As she navigated to the forum and found the thread, her heart sank when she realized it had been hacked. Clicking on the link only brought up a frustrating 404 error, and she couldn't access the content at all.Right at that moment, a text message popped up, and it was from Serena.Serena: [Madelyn, you were so brave.
Ventropolis High School turned out to be more lenient in its rules than Jadie had initially expected. While snacks were allowed, eating them inside the classrooms was strictly against the rules.Jadie was puzzled about who had left the snacks, making it difficult for her to figure out who to return them to. So, she decided to either share them with her classmates or bring them back to her dorm room to enjoy with her roommates.With her warm and friendly nature, Jadie always wore a bright smile. She had a knack for excelling in her studies. Even though she was a recent transfer student, she had skillfully maintained her grasp on the knowledge she had acquired during her time studying abroad. Impressively, she had clinched the top spot in her class and secured the second position among all students in her grade on the most recent test.Whenever her classmates needed help with their studies, Jadie was more than willing to assist, generously sharing her notes and study materials. Her pe
Claire lay unconscious, completely unresponsive despite Jadie's desperate attempts to wake her.With a satisfied smirk, Linsay sent a picture to someone on her phone and quickly left. She glanced at Claire and exchanged knowing looks with a girl nearby. Without hesitation, the other girl got a bowl of cold water and poured it over Claire. Instantly, Claire jolted awake, shivering and coughing as the icy water shocked her system. She struggled to get her bearings, disoriented and cold.Linsay looked down at Jadie, observing her messy clothes and scratched face. Acting superior, she spoke, "Jadie White, don't blame us. If anyone's at fault, it's the one who said and did things they shouldn't have. But your biggest mistake was trying to win over Forrest! He's my friend's crush, you know. If you ever mess with him again or flirt with his friends, don't be surprised if I accidentally show these interesting photos from my phone." She waved her phone, emphasizing her warning.Jadie had jus