"An act?" Gracey muttered, casting her a bewildered glance.
"Yeah, an attempt to regain Gabriel's trust, which she had lost due to the post in which she revealed her infatuation with him," Tiffany said with a convincing tone that made Gracey ponder her words.
"I will reveal something to you that nobody else is aware of," Tiffany muttered, beckoning Gracey to approach while brainwashing her against Eveline with her mumbling.
"No way," Gracey exclaimed, finding it difficult to accept Tiffany's statement. "She threatened you to help her win Gabriel in exchange for your respect."
"Please don't tell anyone or else Eveline will not spare me," Tiffany begged Gracey.
Gracey was one of the top ten students in terms of academic excellence. She had always attempted to outperform Eveline, but she was never able to do so, and she would consistently rank in second place on the chart.
She eventually accepted that Eveline was, in fact, an excellent student and a nice girl who had once assisted her. However, after speaking with Tiffany, her feelings about Eveline started to waver.
Tiffany, however, grinned at Gracey's solemn expression. She skillfully managed to manipulate another student against Eveline.
Eveline was the most popular student at Aspen, not because she was Jonathan Miller's daughter, but rather because of her warm disposition toward everyone. She attracted a lot of followers with her smile and was always willing to lend a helping hand to students who needed it.
During these three years, a lot of students started to view her as an inspiration; on the other hand, not many people disliked her and Gracey was one among them.
She had always competed with Eveline to secure the top position, but would always end up being second.
Gracey was a sweet, quiet girl who preferred to keep to herself, but she did occasionally let her guard down around Eveline because Eveline had once assisted her. But after what Tiffany said, she knew she had managed to gain another supporter in her league.
The class soon began and everyone engrossed themselves in gaining knowledge.
During the lunch break, Eveline excused herself and headed towards the staff section to meet Professor Beckham, whom she suggested Jonathan seek coaching from.
"Professor, may I come in?" Knocking on the door, said Eveline.
"Yes, Miss Miller, please come in," the man in his late fifties said.
Professor Beckham was one of the finest professor of Aspen College, and Eveline wanted to get his assistance in studies.
Even as one of the best students, she was not without her share of fears. But now that she understands how Tiffany's deception caused her to lose focus on her career and divert her attention from her studies in an attempt to win Gabriel over, she will never want to repeat the same mistakes.
Eveline had allowed others to influence her life wrongly but not anymore. She was going to live life to the fullest and pursue her dream of becoming a prosperous businesswoman.
Eveline walked and took a seat in front of Professor Beckham's desk.
While she was in her office talking to the professor about something that had to do with her studies, Tiffany stood outside his office wondering why Eveline visited Professor Beckham's office.
When the bell rang, she followed her surreptitiously, wondering if she would meet Gabriel. However, her assumption was incorrect, as she ended up at the staff office instead of meeting Gabriel.
"Why is she taking so long?" Tiffany mumbled, wondering what Eveline needed to talk to the professor, but her train of thought was interrupted when she saw Gabriel approaching her.
Tiffany ducked behind the pillar quickly, hiding herself from Gabriel until he knocked on Prof. Beckham's office door and walked in.
When the door shut, Tiffany's expression grew melancholic at the thought of Gabriel and Eveline being together. She wondered what both Gabriel and Eveline had to discuss with the professor and how she wasn't aware of it.
****
[Inside]
Gabriel paused for a few seconds when his eyes fell on Eveline before Prof. Beckham's voice broke his trance.
"Gabriel, what brings you here?" Professor Beckham questioned, glancing at Gabriel. It was then Eveline too turned to see the person who had just walked in.
Eveline saw a flicker of confusion in his eyes the instant their eyes met, but she quickly averted her gaze, ignoring Gabriel entirely.
Gabriel's heart fell, but he got himself together fast and moved over to the table.
"These are the project reports that you requested, Professor." Gabriel turned over the assignment file to Professor Beckham.
Prof. Beckham gave Gabriel a perplexed look before turning his eyes on the report.
"That was too quick, Gabriel. You were supposed to hand these reports to me by the end of this month. If so, congratulations on finishing your research project." Prof. Beckham praised Gabriel.
"See, Miss Miller, this is the reason I advised you to ask Gabriel for assistance. He is the most qualified student to assist you with the business management course," he added.
Eveline was meant to convince Professor Beckham to guide her through the semester, but he had a seminar in Columbia on the weak and would be returning by the end of this month. He suggested Eveline call Gabriel for advice because he did not want her to miss her studies as a result of him.
While Eveline was content to wait for him to return, Prof. Beckham was concerned that Eveline would miss those lessons while he was away.
Unaware of what had transpired, Gabriel quickly looked away when he heard Eveline's reply.
"That is alright, Prof. I can wait until you get back," she uttered, politely declining his suggestion.
How was Eveline supposed to agree with Prof. Beckham when she refused to seek Gabriel's guidance the other day?
However, Prof. Beckham was unable to turn down Eveline's request. Since Eveline was one of the smarter students, he was unable to compromise her academics because he had always given his students' requests for advice greater weight.
"Gabriel, will it be okay for you to tutor Eveline until I return?" Professor Beckham questioned, glancing at Gabriel.
"..."