All Chapters of No More Time Together: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Once I got home, I followed our usual routine and sent the receipt for a hundred and fifty dollars to our three-person group chat.My boyfriend, Corbin, was very quick to text in the group chat. [@Mabel_Marigold, let me get this one. Don’t worry about your share.][I know money’s tight at home for you. Save it for when school starts.]My best friend, Mabel, refused.The two of them went back and forth in the group chat.None of them even asked where I had gone or why I had not waited for them.Ten minutes later, Corbin messaged me privately.[Next time, don’t pick such a pricey restaurant. You know how Mabel is doing financially.]I replied flatly, [She’s the one who picked it.]At the time, I had even hinted that this trendy place was not cheap and suggested switching to another one.Corbin had even patted my head and teased me, saying, “You only scored five hundred and twenty on your PSAT Math, but you sure know how to do the math on this.”Corbin replied after a few sec

Chapter 2

My mother was shocked when she heard this.She pulled me into the house. “What happened? Weren’t you just saying a few days ago that you were dead set on following Cor to Northbridge?”I covered my face with my hands and tried to stop myself from crying.Alas, I still could not hold back and started sobbing.“I’m just too tired. I don’t want to chase after him anymore.”Ever since I started high school, I had been like a hamster on a wheel.I knew that Corbin’s dream was to study at Northbridge University, and he could get there without breaking a sweat.I was not greedy; I only wanted to be in the same city as him.However, even that small wish cost me a hundred times—no, a thousand times more effort than it would anyone else.Whenever I could not memorize something, I would write it down over and over until I could.In just one semester of senior year, I lost ten pounds.However, the moment I got my PSAT score, my world fell apart.I cried uncontrollably. I was heartbro

Chapter 3

Corbin and I lived in the same apartment building, just one floor apart.Yet it felt like we were in two completely different worlds.I never bumped into him around the neighborhood anymore.I figured he was purposely giving me the cold shoulder.However, this time, I did not go running after him demanding to know why like I used to.Once my SAT scores came in, I went ahead and applied to a school down south.During that time, Mabel had mentioned me in the group chat, saying, [Denise, I went through all my old revision materials and put them together for you. Do you want me to drop them off tomorrow?]I replied, [No thanks. I won’t be needing them anymore.]Very soon, Corbin texted, [Denise, how could you be so ungrateful?][Mabel worked her summer job during the day and stayed up all night putting these together for you. After all that effort, you just said no without even looking at them?][Do you think the whole world revolves around you?]We had not talked for two weeks.

Chapter 4

“Denise, look what you caused!”I was completely lost.Corbin sneered at me coldly, “If you hadn’t thrown a fit and switched to the night shift, Mabel wouldn’t have felt like she had to wait around for you to get off work. She wouldn’t have gotten cornered by that creep trying to save you!”I panicked.So, Mabel was the one who deliberately set off that police siren.The reason that dark figure did not catch me was that he found Mabel hiding in the shadows. He then turned on her to get back at her, which gave me the chance to escape.I became overwhelmed with guilt. I covered my head in my hands and sobbed uncontrollably.“I didn’t know...”I genuinely thought a police car had happened to pass by and scared that person off.Corbin mocked, “You didn’t know?“Denise, besides throwing tantrums and demanding that everyone always cater to you and accommodate you, what else do you even know?!”My face turned pale, and my whole body trembled violently.I tuned him out.The only

Chapter 5

Corbin’s first instinct was to think that he had misheard the neighbor.No way. How could the girl who had always said she would follow him possibly give up on repeating her senior year?His mother urged him from the side.“Cor? What’s keeping you? We’re going to miss the train.”Corbin snapped back to his senses.He merely assumed that Denise was just saying angry words out of spite.Without giving it much thought, he headed straight to the train station.Mabel had arrived early and was already waiting for him in the waiting area.“So? Did you get to see Denise today?”Corbin paused for a moment and shook his head.Mabel let out a sigh.“She’s probably still mad. Look, I texted her yesterday. She did reply, but she wasn’t as friendly as before.“Honestly? It kind of hurts.”Corbin’s gaze fell on her phone screen.Mabel: Denise, I start school tomorrow. Let’s go hit up that barbecue and grill place we used to go to.Denise: Okay, my treat. Consider it my thanks for savin

Chapter 6

Corbin reassured himself that it could not be Denise.Even if she had decided not to repeat senior year, she would not be here.How could she be at a train station?Corbin did not dwell on it any longer and rushed to the high school he had attended as quickly as he could.He found her class, but there was no sign of Denise anywhere.He was in disbelief.He searched for her in every classroom, but she was not there.“Corbin, what are you still doing here?”His former homeroom teacher, Margaret Read, was surprised to see him standing there with his suitcase.“Aren’t you supposed to attend the orientation at your university today?“You should be at the train station now.”Corbin ignored Margaret’s question. He only asked anxiously, “Ms. Read, have you seen Denise?”“Who?”That was when Corbin realized that Margaret had never taught Denise.She did not know Denise at all.He then asked again, “Could you check for me if Denise Summer is repeating senior year this year?”Th

Chapter 7

By the time I saw Mabel’s message, I had just gotten off the train.The train station was massive and crowded.I opened the chat box and replied, [Yeah. I’ve already broken up with him.]After transferring twice on the subway, I finally arrived at the unfamiliar campus.Once I was settled, I called my mom to let her know I was safe.She told me about Corbin coming back to the neighborhood afterward.I was a little surprised, but I did not pay much attention to it. Since I had already decided to let Corbin go, I did not want to dwell too much on his affairs.“Mom, from now on, don’t tell me anything about Corbin. I don’t want to hear about it.”She was stunned for a moment before saying, “Alright. I won’t bring it up if you don’t want to hear about it.”On the first day of orientation, there were many things to take care of and buy.That afternoon, I had just returned from the campus gate with Clara, my new roommate, after buying daily necessities.From a distance, I saw Co

Chapter 8

The next day, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. It had a Northbridge area code.Though I could guess it was Corbin, I answered it anyway.Corbin’s familiar voice came through.“Denise.”His voice sounded a little hoarse.“Hmm.”“I went to your campus yesterday.”“I know.”“Denise, can we please have a proper talk?”“Sure, go ahead.”Since there was no way to avoid it, I might as well lay everything out clearly.There was a long beat of silence. It was as if he had lost his voice.I sighed and said, “When I was talking to Mabel last night, you were listening too, weren’t you?”After a few seconds, he responded, “Yeah...”I smiled and said, “Then, you already heard everything. We covered it all last night. I meant every word—”“Denise…” Corbin interjected urgently.“I stayed up all night thinking about everything you said.“You were right. I’m sorry.“I shouldn’t have kept brushing off your feelings...“Denise, I know we’re the same age, but I’ve always se

Chapter 9

For two days in a row, Corbin stayed near the dormitory.The dormitory warden clicked her tongue and said with amazement, “That brat has some serious patience. “He doesn’t even leave at night. He just sleeps on that bench out there.“You should see his legs. They’re covered in mosquito bites. Honestly, it’s kind of sad to look at him.”I took the meal my friend had brought me in silence.For a full six days, he remained downstairs.He only left on the last day of the holiday.After he left, I blocked Mabel’s number as well.When Corbin showed up at my school, I knew right away that Mabel must have given him her number.That was all I needed to finally let go of whatever was left of our friendship.From that point on, I had nothing left to say to either of them.However, I never expected that, as winter break approached, Corbin would show up again.I was at a cafe just off campus, sitting by the window and holding hands with my boyfriend, Ian.Corbin burst through the door

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