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Chapter 6
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The Day He Called Me a Leech, I Left Chapter 8
Sebastian got sick.After that night of pouring rain, he came down with a high fever and was admitted to a hospital in Lower Manhattan.I heard it from the café owner.My hand paused for a beat on the coffee cup. Then I calmly hung the cloth back in place."No need, boss. I have a seminar."The owner sighed."I was young once too. I always thought I'd never regret anything."But the one who should regret? It was never me.The next afternoon, Mrs. Rivers came to the café.She looked worn down. The moment she saw me standing behind the counter, her eyes went red."Maya... I finally found you."She reached out instinctively, wanting to hug me.I stepped back half a pace, polite, keeping the distance. I gave a slight bow. "Mrs. Rivers. It's been a while."She looked a little awkward."Maya, Sebastian's father and I know everything that happened at school. Sebastian was an idiot. If we'd known, we would've made him protect you."I stayed silent."But Maya, he's paid enough for his mistakes.
The Day He Called Me a Leech, I Left Chapter 7
On the seventh day, it rained hard over New York.Sebastian still came.He had no umbrella. He pushed the door open soaked through, hair plastered to his forehead, shivering like a drowned dog."Sir, dry off a bit. The floor gets slippery."He took the towel, his hands too stiff to even hold it."Maya, happy birthday."I paused for a beat.Counting the days, it really was my eighteenth birthday.These past three months had been so busy I'd forgotten it myself."This is for you."Trembling, he pulled a delicate gift box from inside his jacket, shielded dry by his own body.Inside was a fine Tiffany bracelet.I froze.I remembered that bracelet."I remember... back in junior year, when we were shopping on Fifth Avenue, you stared at it in the window for a long time."He watched me carefully.That was sophomore year, when we went to Manhattan to tour colleges. I'd loved it at first sight, but after seeing the price, I quietly looked away.I never thought he'd remembered it all this time.
The Day He Called Me a Leech, I Left Chapter 6
Life in New York flew by.Before I knew it, I'd adjusted to Columbia's brutal course pace. The café business stayed steady, and I got more and more skilled. I even developed a few seasonal specialty drinks that became popular with the students and professors nearby.Mr. Smith happily raised my hourly wage."Maya, you're amazing." He patted my shoulder with a grin. "I wish you were my daughter!"I smiled politely and kept steaming milk, my hands never stopping.Life finally seemed to be on track.Until that afternoon, when an unwelcome guest walked into the café.Sebastian had lost a lot of weight. His eye sockets were sunken, stubble all over his jaw. Nothing left of the sunny, dazzling football star from the field.The second he saw me, a light sparked in those dull, hollow eyes."Maya!"He nearly lost control and lunged forward to hug me.I stepped back hard, neatly avoiding him from behind the wide wooden counter."Welcome. What can I get for you, sir?"I used my standard, practiced
The Day He Called Me a Leech, I Left Chapter 5
Getting my early graduation processed went a lot smoother than I expected.The guidance counselor stamped the last seal on the form and pushed the file back to me with a soft sigh."Maya, your GPA is top of the whole school, and you got a full ride to Columbia. You're outstanding. But you're always wound too tight. I'd rather you learn to enjoy your life.""I will, ma'am."I took the graduation certificate and smiled faintly, my eyes calm."I'll learn to enjoy life. Just not here."The counselor paused, like she understood something, then silently held out her hand."Good luck, Maya. New York will be a good new start for you."I gathered all my withdrawal and graduation paperwork and walked out of the main building.I shouldered my backpack, pulled out my car keys, and headed to the parking lot.I'd just put the key in the ignition when rapid, frantic footsteps came from ahead."Maya! Wait! Maya!!"Sebastian came sprinting across the lawn, gasping for air, hair a mess, his jacket half
The Day He Called Me a Leech, I Left Chapter 4
I ran all the way back to the old house my grandmother left me, through the freezing rain and wind.Not surprisingly, I came down with a raging fever that night.My head pounded. My throat burned with thirst.Half-delirious, I got a call from Sebastian."Hey, Maya? You home yet?"The background was loud, clinking with fancy restaurant music and laughter."What's up? I'm kind of busy.""Sebastian, I have a high fever..."I barely got the words out, unsure if he even heard me."What?" He asked again. "Can you speak up?"Before I could try again, Chloe's voice came through the line."Sebastian, our appetizers are here. Cut my steak for me—""Coming." Sebastian called back, then said to me, fast, "Alright Maya, I've got stuff going on. Gotta go."The call cut off clean.In the end, it was Mrs. Rivers next door, Sebastian's mother, who came over with a lemon cake she'd baked. She pushed the door open and found me passed out.Her face went pale. Without a word, she drove me straight to the h
The Day He Called Me a Leech, I Left Chapter 3
Things got worse.Someone made an anonymous channel and a private Discord server called "Get the Parasite Out of School." Every day, people uploaded photos they'd secretly taken of me, paired with vicious comments.Me in an ordinary coat, mocked:"Is that Sebastian's? God, why does she always need attention?"But Mr. Rivers had bought it for both me and Sebastian.Me passing the parking lot in the afternoon, and they said:"Here comes the beggar, catching another ride home from Sebastian."The truth was, I'd stopped riding in Sebastian's car half a month ago.But no matter what I changed, it was wrong.They always found something to pin on the leech. Or rather, they thought my very existence was a lowly mistake.Before midterms, I spent almost all my time buried in the school library.I didn't want to go back to the old house. I didn't dare linger in the hallways. I just wanted to hide in the deepest corner of the shelves and numb myself with books.At 9:30 at night, the library was th
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