Maureen left the school gate at noon.
The content of lessons in international class differed from normal classes, with a lot of bilingual education, prompting her to buy some reference books.
Having paid, she turned around and to her surprise, she noticed Chris hanging out with a few punks donned with ear piercings who didn't appear to be good students from other schools, huddling their shoulders as they headed to an internet café across the street.
At this hour, are they ditching school again for the café?
The whole gang noticed Maureen as soon as Chris turned around.
"Isn't that your sister in the mask?"
A blondie in Chris's group scowled,
"Is she here to block you again?
Damn, why is your family always up to something?"
Before this, Maureen had caught them skipping school a few times, and each time, she had dragged Chris back to school.
The blondie and the other gang members were close to recognizing her.
"You better leave quickly before your sister spots us and—"
The blondie left his sentence hanging in the air upon noticing Maureen across the street has already looked away.
To their astonishment, she made a turn and directly walked off carrying a plastic bag full of reference books.
Wait, she just left?? The blondie and the rest of the people around Chris were stunned.
"Incredible! Your sister changed her mind today?
She clearly saw us but didn't approach us?!"
"Let's go, let's head in and have fun while your sister is in a good mood today and choose to give us a pass."
However, Chris stayed stiff in his place, staring at Maureen's retreating figure, his mind buzzing.
Maureen saw him messing around with these punks and just walked away indifferently?!
Could it be?! He couldn't believe it; this situation was even more shocking than being blocked!
How had she disciplined him in the past?
Like iron filings drawn to a magnet, she took umbrage whenever she saw him mingling with those reprobates, immediately whisking him back to school.
But why this change today?
Even if they were at odds with the family, shouldn't she treat him like a complete stranger like she currently was?
Chris used to hate Maureen's intervention, even ridiculing that she was acting as if she were his sister.
However, now that she was indeed turning a blind eye to him, he somehow felt inexplicably aggravated.
As if he was on the brink of losing something.
"You guys go ahead first, I have some business to attend to."
"What urgent business could you have?
Don't tell me you're planning to stand us up at this point?"
Loe voiced his discontent.
Chris, catching sight of Maureen's silhouette about to disappear from his line of sight, flung away Leo's arm that coiled around his neck, ignored Leo's ensuing look of displeasure, and hurriedly chased after her.
Maureen was walking very fast.
Chasing her, Chris was panting heavily.
Only when they were almost under the Senior
Three buildings did he halt her.
" Maureen!" Panting heavily while holding onto his knee, Chris stopped in front of her,
"Sister, when will you finally calm down?
Big brother said he's already sent you a text apologizing.
Isn't it enough when someone like big brother has already made his apology?
I know that this time the family wronged you, but you can't always stay in the school, where will you go during holidays?"
Maureen knew she had nowhere to go.
But even so, she wouldn't go back.
"You're stopping me just to talk about this?
I have somewhere to go, thank you.
I don't need you to worry about me;
I'm going upstairs."
Maureen turned around to leave, leaving a frustrated Chris.
He knew they had wronged Maureen this time, and her anger was justified.
So he tried hard to control his temper, followed her to the foot of the stairs, and softened his voice:
"Sis, I'm begging you, don't be angry with us anymore.
Mom is just that way with words, always coming at you aggressively, but she still cares about you—I apologize as well.
I was too harsh the day you left home."
"We are family, there's no problem that can't be resolved.
There's no need to keep feuding over such small issues."
As Chris spoke, he felt aggrieved himself, and started to whine:
"You're giving me the cold shoulder just over this minor issue?
You've blocked me out, you looked at me just now as if you didn't even see me, right?"
Maureen silently looked at the grass by the wall of the teaching building, wondering what constitutes a small issue and what is a big one.
Why does everyone in the Smith family keep saying,
"It's just a small issue"?
When she first went to the Smith's, a light touch on Bianca's piano had led to Mike, her second elder brother, rushing in to scold her, telling this bumpkin not to touch his things.
Were these just minor issues?
But she didn't want to delve into who was right or wrong, who was biased or fair anymore.
Maureen decided to make her stance clear, she turned around and looked at Chris:
"I'm not feuding with you."
Chris breathed a sigh of relief,
"Then you're coming home—"
"I don't plan on going back ever again."
Chris was startled.
"Before I came here two years ago, your family was doing pretty well.
But then I came, which was superfluous and unnecessary,"
she confessed.
Chris was completely taken aback, his eyes wide,
"What do you mean?"
"What I'm saying is, stop seeking me out.
I wish to draw a line here and return to the way things were before."
Maureen glances down, calculating in her heart a specific number.
"In these past two years, your family has spent some money on me, including tuition, approximating to around 130,000."
"Indeed, I'm not financially able to repay all at once right now.
But after finishing high school, I will pay back gradually.
After all, I've cooked meals for your family for the past two years, which could be considered as repaying the favor of bringing me up.
Apart from that, I don't owe anything else." She needs to spend her time altering her own fate.
She really doesn't have the time to keep up with the constant wrangling with the Smith family.
"So, I'd appreciate it if you could please pass this message to your family, and ask them to give me some time.
Stop coming every day to collect debts."
Chris had never imagined Maureen would think this way.
For a moment, he couldn't figure out whether Maureen was speaking in jest or seriously.
Chris was left dumbfounded. After a long pause.
"What's all this talk about owing debts?
You're part of our family.
We finally found you after so much effort. Who's asking you to repay?"
His eyes were red with anger. Maureen wordlessly watched Chris, unable to explain to him the matters of her previous life.
Nor did she have the inclination to bicker with him.
"Please deliver my message."
Having said her piece, Maureen turned and went upstairs.
Chris's mind was filled with absurdity.
On the one hand, he comforted himself viciously, telling himself that what Maureen had said was merely out of anger, it didn't matter if she returned or not.
If she didn't, who cared?
When she realized that everyone was ignoring her, she would certainly come back with swollen eyes from crying.
On the other hand, looking at Maureen's cold departing figure, and thinking of how she had stopped caring about him moments ago outside the school, panic surged in his heart—
What if what Maureen said was true?
Chris had never considered that Maureen would really leave this home and never return.
The sun was too harsh, Chris stood blankly for a moment.
Realizing it was almost time for class, he turned and headed towards the freshman area.
=========
Not long ago, he and Maureen were standing under the teaching building when Bianca, who was on her way to the field for physical education, saw them.
She thought he was shouting at Maureen.
Only when she approached did she realize that they were not arguing, and Chris even had a frustrated look on his face, his eyes red.
It looked like he was the one who had been dumped by Maureen.
"What happened, did you talk to Maureen?
What did you guys say?"
Bianca casually called over a boy and handed him the gear she was carrying.
Chris glanced at Bianca.
"Maureen said ——" Chris paused in mid-sentence, and didn't continue.
Was he actually going to relay the blow-off words of Maureen?
What if their mother got angry after hearing them and exacerbated the family conflict?
Plus, maybe Maureen might change her mind later?
"Forget it, it's nothing," he dismissed. Bianca frowned slightly.
She was confused.
All she did last night was go to a party.
When she returned, everyone in the family seemed to owe Maureen something.
After careful inquiry, she found out that it was Ann who caused her allergy, not related to Maureen at all.
It seemed that Maureen had successfully made everyone feel sympathetic and guilty towards her through this incident.
"You guys can't tell me anything now, huh?"
Bianca joked half-seriously,
"You guys have secrets from me now?"
The tension between her and Ann today was palpable, but Chris hadn't asked her about it.
She didn't like this feeling, where everyone's attention had been diverted.
"I said, it's nothing, stop asking, it's really annoying," Chris muttered irritably, then strode towards the upper grades.
He was too upset at the moment to answer Bianca's queries.
Bianca stared at his retreating figure, standing in disbelief.
Since childhood, Chris would always play with her, following her around like a shadow.
Whenever she said one, he would never dare to counter with two.
It was the same at school.
As soon as Chris heard any rustling about someone bullying her, he would immediately fly into a rage.
But now, did Chris really call her annoying because of Maureen?
==========
Maureen rubbed her forehead, thinking she had made things quite clear to Chris.
Given the identical arrogance of the Smith family, they probably wouldn't come looking for her in a short while.
As she carried her book bag up the stairs, her initial plan was to return to class quickly so that she could rest a bit more on her desk.
Yet, right at the staircase's entrance, she saw Elizabeth and Richard.
Was she really having such an ill-fated afternoon?
She seemed to bump into the people she least wanted to see.
Elizabeth was the renowned school beauty and top student from the neighboring public middle school, known for her ballet skills.
She had once participated in a competition together with Richard.
The two of them were standing face to face, with Richard looking down as he accepted some forms from Elizabeth.
Maureen responded immediately, it must have been about the upcoming Inter-School Competition.
The competition was held once a year, and each school only had twenty entries.
The leading teachers usually chose students from the top classes and the evergreen classes to participate.
If necessary, they would also select a few students from the international class who were particularly good in English.
To be honest, Maureen also wanted to participate and try her luck.
After all, if she made it into the top twenty percent, High School A would give her a small cash reward.
She was in desperate need of money presently and figured it would be nice to have a fair competition with so many outstanding students.
However, she had only just transferred classes, so she understood it was unlikely that the opportunity would fall to her.
Love rivals, when they meet, are prone to jealousy.
Elizabeth spotted her immediately, causing her eyebrows to slightly furrow.
Without guessing, from Elizabeth's look, she was sure that she suspected her class transfer to this building was because of Richard.
Richard's gaze is just about to follow Elizabeth's.
Suddenly, Elizabeth took a step closer, lightly rested her hand on Richard's arm and smiled
" Richard, can you give me some hints about who your class is going to send to participate this year?
Richard immediately pushed her off, quickly stepping back, his brows furrowing.
He instinctively looked towards Smith Maureen at the entrance of the staircase.
However, Maureen didn't spare them a glance.
She briskly walked past them, her head down, heading toward the international class.
Because she was wearing a mask, Richard couldn't even clearly see her expression.
Maureen was about to reach the door of the international class when she let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh my, that was really awkward." It seems she should use the staircase from the other side to go upstairs in the future.
Just before she could walk in, she was stopped by Richard who was a few steps away.
"Maureen." Richard's tone was as cold as ever.
He had just helped her yesterday, so Maureen had to turn around, showing a smile that was awkward yet polite:
"You may continue." Richard was taken aback.
A fire unknowingly lit in his heart.
Seeing that he had nothing to say, Maureen thought he was just greeting her – but it was as if the sun had risen from the west, Richard would actually take the initiative to greet her on the road.
"Then I'll go in first."
She turned around and was about to enter the classroom.
Richard watched her back, and suddenly spoke again:
"Don't let Josephine send notes."
Maureen was confused, "What's wrong with Josephine?"
Richard had one hand in his pocket, holding the registration form in the other, staring at her coldly, "
she's your friend, not your errand girl!" Maureen didn't know why Richard disliked her this much.
Even though she had been pursuing him all this while, she didn't think she had done anything extremely offensive.
Hence, she could only answer in a low voice: "Understood."
After a brief pause, Maureen thought for a moment before stating,
"But I won't need to borrow your notes afterward." Richard frowned,
"The international class's progress is different from that of the regular class.
Are you sure you can keep up?"
Maureen replied, "I could borrow from friends in the international class.
Besides, the progress of your honor class and the international class differs too.
Anyway, you can relax, I won't bother you every Tuesday."
She had thought that after saying this, Richard would feel relieved as if a burden had been dismissed.
However, for some reason, Richard was staring at her intently.
Maureen: ? For no apparent reason, she felt the surrounding atmosphere stiffen.
Richard's expression turned cold and somewhat frightening, he scoffed,
"International class friends? Liam?"
Richard was tempted to crack open Maureen's skull to see what she was thinking.
Was she trying to make him jealous by flirting with another man?
Had she considered what she would do if, after provoking someone like Liam, she couldn't shake him off?
"I won't ask him," Maureen said with a puzzled look at Richard, "his grades aren't good." Considering Williams's performance, he would likely rank last.
Had he even written a single word of notes in his three years of high school? Richard's expression eased slightly.
He handed a form to Maureen and said in a calm tone,
"This is the application form for the All-School Tournament.
Besides filling out your information, there are also some questions.
You could fill it out and manage to give it to me by this Saturday.
I'll submit it, if you solve all the questions correctly, you have a chance of being selected to participate."
Even after filling out this application, selection wasn't guaranteed as the team's teacher would have a final say.
Maureen assumed she wouldn't be able to go, but she didn't reject the opportunity either.
She took the form and said,
"Thank you."
Just as she was about to leave, Richard paused before saying in a detached tone,
"This weekend, I can tutor you on the scope of the tournament at the library."
This was undoubtedly the most shocking thing Maureen had heard today.
She seriously doubted whether Richard had taken the wrong medicine.
Before, whenever she insisted on going to the library together, Richard seemed to wish he could kill her with a glance.
However, she quickly realized, could Richard know that she had argued with her family and moved out, and hence started to feel a little sympathy for her and planned to help her out for the first time?
"No need," Maureen quickly said.
She couldn't accept Richard's assistance.
Richard's face instantly turned ice-cold:
"Suit yourself, all the better if you don't show up, I am rather busy."
Maureen watched Richard turn his back and leave without giving her and Elizabeth another glance.
Only then did she feel that Richard was back to his senses.
She took a deep breath and turned into the classroom.
By the window, Niel looked at Liam always sticking out half of his head, staring at Maureen and Richard in the corridor, he couldn't help urging, "Liam, stop staring, she's coming in."
Liam quickly sat down, pretending to be nonchalant by putting on his noise-cancelling headphones and reading a book without looking elsewhere.
After two seconds, Maureen had already sat back in the last row of the seats, but she didn't even glance in this direction - she didn't approach him the whole day today.
Liam felt every hair on his body stand up, eager to pick a fight but forced to hold back, he couldn't help but throw the book:
"Who was that transfer student talking to?
An old friend?"
Niel remembered the things he had heard during lunch.
Swallowing his saliva, he dared not speak.
A friend? The friend who had been entwined in countless scandalous rumors?
If you knew, you might just be a tool being used to provoke someone's jealousy, then what would be left of you?
You might be the one to bring explosives to school tomorrow.