Chapter 02.2

The rest of my day passed uneventfully—until lunch, when Shannon sat down with us.

I didn’t like it when girls wanted to eat with me—it was better if they didn’t get too comfortable in the spot. But I didn’t want to shoo Shannon away, at least not before the weekend.

“Hi there, Pretty Boy. I was thinking you could take me somewhere on Friday since we won’t be alone on Saturday.”

“What would make you happy, kitten?” I asked sweetly.

“I don’t know, maybe a romantic dinner?” Shannon snuggled up to me like a kitten, her hand resting on my thigh.

“Alright, I’ll pick you up at eight on Friday night,” I said, flashing one of my signature charming smiles.

“Awesome.” She kissed my neck and then sauntered off.

“My goodness, that girl sure knows what she wants,” Brian said from across the table.

“Yeah,” I remarked dryly.

“Would you be happier if you had to work harder for it?” Brian asked. “Look around—every guy is busting his chops to impress someone, and here you are complaining because the best girls are hanging around you.”

“You’re right. I’ll enjoy what I get,” I grinned mischievously.

I glanced around, curious if every girl had guys hovering around them. My gaze landed on the new girl. She was reading, though she wasn’t alone. Paul sat across from her at the desk, surrounded by a group of girls.

It seemed half-slit eyes and wealth were attractive.

Jane wasn’t eating cake, but for some reason, Paul pushed his own toward her, which she accepted with a smile.

—-

After lunch, before geography class, Jane was already inside, quietly reading as usual.

“Same book, little girl?” I asked, settling into my chair and turning toward her.

“Well, it’s hard to make progress when I’m interrupted at every page,” she smiled when she looked up.

She didn’t seem offended.

“I’d meet Theodore again,” I told her.

“Excuse me?” She sighed softly, gave up, and put the book away.

“If I could go back in time,” I continued, “I’d meet my dog again.”

“He’d surely be happy to see you,” she said with another smile. She was quite charming when she smiled.

“Do you have a dog?” I asked, though I already knew the answer from yesterday’s class.

“Oh, no,” she said. “With all the traveling, it didn’t fit in.”

“Traveling?” I asked, but before she could answer, a voice interrupted.

“Hey, Pretty Boy, there you are,” Shannon purred as she sat down at the desk next to me. “I hope you haven’t forgotten,” she whined while sizing up Jane.

Clearly, the two girls weren’t in the same league—but that wasn’t a compliment to Shannon.

“You can’t be forgotten,” I winked and turned back.

“I think I’ll move somewhere else before I have to throw up,” Jane muttered behind me and moved to the furthest empty desk.

“I’m looking forward to the weekend,” Shannon whispered in my ear, which my arriving buddies greeted with grins.

I didn’t turn around for the rest of class, though I was curious about what Jane was doing.

—-

At dinner, Amber was already impatiently pestering me.

“I’m looking forward to Saturday, bro. I don’t want to wash dishes next week.”

“We’ll see,” I said.

“Did you have class with the new students today?” Dad asked, interested.

“I did,” I said briefly. “The guy swims like me, and there’s nothing wrong with him. Everyone liked him.”

“And the girl?” Amber asked.

“She just makes snide remarks to everyone,” I said.

My parents exchanged glances, but I didn’t understand why.

“Is she pretty?” Amber asked curiously.

“No,” I said shortly.

“Too bad,” Amber said. I ignored the mild sarcasm.

—-

The next day, although there was no training, I couldn’t sleep and arrived earlier than the others. Even so, I wasn’t the first—Jane was already there. As usual, she didn’t pay any attention to me, buried in her book and just as stylishly indifferent as before.

“So, what kind of traveling, little girl?” I asked, grinning, waiting for her to put down her book.

“Excuse me?” She looked at me over the pages.

“The traveling that kept you from having a dog,” I reminded her.

“Yeah, right. Until a few years ago, we traveled a lot, so we didn’t get a dog.” A brief answer, but it wasn’t enough for me.

“Why did you travel?” I was genuinely interested.

“My dad’s job required it. He was an international architect.” Strangely, I didn’t see any emotion on her face.

“Any other questions?” she smiled. “Or can I continue reading?”

Her smile was definitely beautiful.

“Have you been to many countries?” I asked quickly, signaling I still had questions.

“A few.”

Behind me, Brian arrived and quietly sat down, fiddling with his phone.

“You know, if your sentences were longer, I wouldn’t ask so many questions,” I teased, making her smile.

“Do you speak multiple languages?”

“I can make myself understood in a few countries, yes,” she said.

I had a feeling this was a modest answer.

“Didn’t sleep well?” she suddenly asked, her beautiful eyes smiling mischievously.

“Why?” Her personal question surprised me—it wasn’t like her.

“Your hair didn’t turn out right, so I thought you were sleepy,” she laughed, and Brian quietly smiled.

I went to the bathroom to check my hair, but it was perfectly fine. By the time I returned, more people were in the room, and Jane had just put away her book, waiting with a cheerful smile.

“You see, Pretty Boy, if I were you, I’d let me read,” she said softly, winking.

Brian grinned, and I chuckled quietly at her teasing. Clever move.

I wanted to respond, but Shannon appeared and sat in front of me. Jane silently moved to the furthest empty desk.

Apart from biology and history, she never sat near me. That day, I only saw her at lunch—she was eating with Paul.