Chapter 2

Joshua let out a contemptuous laugh, his tone full of disdain. "Don't pull that act on me, Claire. If you're in the wrong, then you've got to admit it. Once you're out in the real world, no one's going to coddle you!

"Anyway, get on a video call with Lana later and apologize. I'll pretend that this never happened."

Then, the video call ended. The words I was about to say were already on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them back.

My hands shook with anger. In the past, every argument had ended with me crying and begging for reconciliation. There had been no exceptions. But this time, things were going to be different.

"I won't be turning back this time, Josh."

Moments later, Alanna sent a message in the group chat. "Hey Clary, do you have any idea how popular your boyfriend is? He just got elected as class president, and a bunch of girls are already surrounding him, asking for his contact info!

"But don't worry. I'm practically glued to Josh's side. I'll keep an eye on him for you 24/7! If he dares to cheat on you, I'll beat him up!"

Joshua replied almost immediately and steered the conversation back to Alanna. "Those guys sitting in the back row seem pretty interested in you too, don't they?"

The two of them chatted on and on about how many admirers the other had, quickly flooding the chat. I immediately lost all desire to say anything.

Joshua and Alanna had been popular since high school. With their striking looks, they were greeted with cheers wherever they went.

As for me, I was just an ordinary, unremarkable student who had clawed my way out of a small town through years of hard study.

Joshua, proud by nature, was extremely intelligent. Everything came effortlessly to him. Even the professors at the state physics research institute had called him the most gifted student they had ever come across.

I was never supposed to cross paths with someone like him. But once, during a math test, I pushed myself hard and scored a perfect 100 for the first time.

Joshua, however, scored 99. They deducted that one point for his messy handwriting. For the first time in his life, the golden boy tasted defeat.

Then, one afternoon, standing under a large oak tree, he called out to me, "Claire Bennett, was it? Dare to take me up on a challenge for the next exam?"

The autumn wind rose, scattering the leaves around us. And just like that, our paths crossed.

On the surface, we were rivals trading blows. But no one knew that the campus beau, who always came first academically, was dating an inconspicuous bookworm.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I stopped looking at their messages and exited the group chat.

The student council recruitment was tomorrow, and I was going to give it a try. Since Joshua and Alanna had chosen to leave me behind, it was time I carried on my own path.

After I was done with my preparations for the interview and about to go to bed, Alanna sent me a private message. "Clary, I heard from Josh that you're on your period. Is your migraine acting up again? Don't tough it out, okay? Remember to take your painkillers. They're in your bag."

I unzipped my bag to find a palm-sized transparent pill organizer inside. Each compartment had a label neatly stuck on it, carefully noting the name and effect of each pill. Alanna had made it for me herself.

Back in high school, I had left home to attend a boarding school in the city. Alanna had been one of the few sources of warmth I had there.

She had come up to me excitedly when I was sick once and exclaimed, "Tada! Look what I've got! A mini medical kit especially for you, Clary!"

Then, she put a hand on my burning forehead and took on a lightly scolding tone. "Seriously, Clary, you need to take good care of yourself when you don't have me by your side in the future!"

Staring at the pill organizer, I felt my eyes stinging. In the end, I didn't take the medicine. Instead, I threw the pill organizer into the trash, along with the chocolates Joshua had sent me.

I could do without the pills. How hard could it be?