Ten years earlier
"Anna, our school has a strict uniform policy. You need to buy all your school supplies from our official school store, or you won't be able to study here," Mrs. Woods, the principal, tells her. Mrs. Woods is Nigerian and married to a white man. "Mrs. Woods, how much do the school supplies cost?" Anna asks. "It's just two hundred thousand," Anna replies with a nervous nod. Her parents couldn't even buy her shoes that cost ten thousand; they had to sell their radio to get her school loafers. As Anna exits the principal's office, she accidentally runs into Henry Castle, who notices the tears in her eyes. She expects him to say something, but instead, he simply picks up his books and walks away. Alone, Henry thinks about Anna and the tears she had as she left the principal's office. Earlier, he had heard her begging the principal, explaining how her dad had sold their radio to pay for her shoes. He always found it hard to believe his mom when she said there were people who couldn't afford three meals a day. But now, Elena walks over and sits next to him. She has parents from different races, and her skin is white. "Hey, I have some good news," she says. Henry shifts his gaze to her. "My mom just told me that Anna can't pay for the uniform; she just got the withdrawal form." Henry was stunned.
He should feel happy that his enemy will leave him alone, allowing him to be the best once more. However, for the last two days, ever since he learned about Anna quitting, he has felt sad without understanding why. He got dressed, grabbed his card, and hopped into the backseat of the SUV his dad gave him for his birthday. Now, he stands in front of the school supply store. He walks in, finds Anna Williams, and clicks to pay. He spent a million on her school books. After he paid, he got into the car. In the backyard, Anna was slowly doing the dishes, breathing heavily, when she received a text from the Elite High School store. The message said: "Good evening, Miss William. We would like to let you know that we have received your payment for the book and uniform supplies. Please come by the school store today to pick up your supplies. Your code is 785634A." She can't find the words to say. She calls the bookstore, and they inform her that the store is closed, but she can pick up her uniform at the Elite Store in town. Not believing it, she shows the message to Jacob, who suggests that she go check if the uniform really belongs to her or if the store sent the message to someone else by mistake. When they arrive at the Elite uniform store, Henry is hiding in his car, watching her. "Good evening, ma'am. I'm here to confirm a message I received earlier," she says. The woman nods. "Alright, what's your name?" she asks. Anna feels nervous, worried that she may have built up her hopes too much. "Anna William," she replies quietly, as it's all she can manage to say. "Do you have the serial code?" She nods and gives it to her
The small Nokia phone was given to the lady. "Alright, Miss William, you need to pick up your books too, but the store closed twenty minutes ago. You can come back tomorrow for your books. Here are five sets of uniforms, five pairs of socks, two sweatshirts, and three ties." The woman placed these items on the table, then packed them into a bag and handed the bag to her. "Excuse me, ma'am, can I ask who made the deposit?" She recalls the man who came with Mr. Castle had told her that his boss preferred to stay anonymous. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't share that information. However, you should be glad that the person who paid wants to see you succeed," he replies. Anna adjusts the bag on her shoulder and steps outside, where Jacob has been waiting for her. "So it's true, your classmates are rich?" Jacob says as he hugs her. Henry is unsure why her happiness makes him smile too. He notices his own smile in the mirror and sees Joe looking at him through the rearview mirror. "Ahem—" he clears his throat nervously and focuses back on his phone. "It's nice to see you smiling again, sir," Joe says, but his face goes serious. "Let's head home, Joe," Joe replies with a nod and starts the car.
It's Monday morning, and Henry is wearing his headphones when he spots Anna entering the devotional hall. He can't help but smile; she looks sharp in her new uniform, and her hair is tied back in a ponytail. He feels a sudden rush in his chest, a mix of annoyance and excitement. He looks at her again, feeling something different from his usual frustration.
Kyle has been shouting his name for the last three minutes, but he was lost in his thoughts. "Hey, man, what are you looking at?" Kyle taps his shoulder, and he jumps, surprised by Kyle's presence. "Kyle, what the heck?" Kyle laughs. "Why are you turning red, Henry?" He glances at the glass door beside him and notices his reflection. "I must have gotten some of Elena's makeup on me when we hugged." Kyle nods in response. "What a surprise! I thought she was going to quit?" Kyle asks, pointing at Anna, who still has a big grin on her face. "Come on, let's go or we'll be late." As Edward walked away, he placed his hand on her shoulder, which made Henry feel angry.