Chapter 4 Sit in the Front
“Eleanor!” He waved at them, smiling warmly, “Kenneth, you sit in the back. I’ll help Eleanor with the navigation!”
Kenneth stopped in his tracks.
She’s been driving the route from school to home for three whole years. Navigation? Who needs that? I mean, how on earth could he come up with such a pathetic excuse?
With Lucas in the passenger seat, Kenneth suddenly didn’t want
to get in the car anymore.
“You all go back first,” Kenneth said, halting in his tracks.
His face darkened a bit. “I’ve still got something to take care of.”
“Classes are over. What could you possibly have to do?” Eleanor gave him a puzzled look.
“What’re you dawdling for?” Suddenly, Victoria’s voice rang out
from the car. She’d been buying stuff in the nearby convenience
store and had just caught wind of their conversation.
Walking over, she shot Kenneth an annoyed glare. “Everyone’s waiting for you. If you had something to do, you should’ve said so earlier. This is just an excuse, ain’t it?”
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Chapter 4 Sit in the Front
“Maybe Kenneth wants to sit in the front. I’ll move to the back then,” Lucas sald in the car, putting on a fake–concerned look and pretending to reach for the door.
“Eleanor doesn’t need me to help with the navigation. I’m fine sitting anywhere.”
It was true that Eleanor didn’t need navigation, but coming from Lucas, it made him seem so pitiful.
This made Victoria even angrier. “Lucas, don’t worry about him! Sit wherever you want! Kenneth, you weren’t this fussy before. What’s wrong with you lately?”
Her scolding was so relentless that even Eleanor couldn’t stand it
anymore. She gave Victoria a look, signaling Victoria to shut up.
Then, she tried to persuade Kenneth, saying, “Victoria’s on her
period these days. She’s in a bad mood. Just give in to her. Let’s
not fight, okay?”
Thinking that Harriet would be back soon, Kenneth decided to
bite his tongue.
On one hand, he didn’t want Harriet to notice the tension among them and worry.
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On the other hand, this would be the last time he sat in the same car with Eleanor and Victoria.
Maybe one day, when I’m old, these things will turn into nice
memories.
With that, he silently opened the back–seat door and got in.
Victoria sat next to him, holding milkshakes. She let out an obvious snort, as if allowing him to sit beside her was a great
favor.
Kenneth frowned slightly and inched closer to the door, putting
more distance between him and Victoria.
“Kenneth, anything going on at the student union today? I heard from a classmate that they saw you in the dean’s office this afternoon,” Lucas said as the car started.
His tone was normal, even a bit humble, but Kenneth could detect
the malice behind his words.
“Your classmate must’ve been mistaken. I was in class this
afternoon,” he replied, not wanting to say more.
But Lucas kept going. “The application for the next batch of
financial aid for poor students is coming up soon, right? Do you
need help with it? I can take care of it.”
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Chapter 4 Sit in the Front
Since Lucas wouldn’t stop asking, Kenneth had to say, “I’m no longer in charge of this at the student union.”
He was transferring schools, so he had to hand over his
student–union duties to some underclassmen.
“Really? Then are you in charge of another department?” Lucas. seemed surprised.
“I’ve quit the student–union work,” Kenneth answered, as both
Eleanor and Lucas were now all ears.
“Why?” Lucas was even more shocked. “You were almost the
vice–president of the student union. How could you just quit like
that? Did you not meet the academic requirements?”
“Did your major GPA fall out of the top 40%, or did you fail a
course?” Victoria immediately chimed in.
“I thought… since this afternoon was the application for makeup
exams…” Lucas‘ voice trailed off. “Sorry, Kenneth. I shouldn’t have
brought it up.”
“Pfft. What’s there not to talk about? Spare his feelings? He
always acts like he’s a straight–A student. Now the truth’s out.” Victoria rolled her eyes.
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Chapter 4 Sit in the Front
Kenneth looked out of the window and smiled.
Just a few words and they start spreading rumors. Do they really think I won’t fight back?
He took out his phone right away. “You know what? The list and scores of students in the top 40% of each major’s academic performance are publicly announced. I can look it up.”
Quickly, he logged into the school’s official grade–checking website and pulled up the page for his major.
There, at the very top of the list, was his name.
Victoria leaned over to take a look, then pressed her lips tightly together. It was as if the mocking words she’d just said had come
back to slap her in the face.
“Lucas, you seem to know so much about makeup exams. Could
it be that you’re the one who needs to take them?” Kenneth said,
then clicked on the page for Lucas‘ major.
Lucas‘ name wasn’t on the list of the top 40%.
His face turned horribly embarrassed, and he suddenly started
coughing violently to cover up his awkwardness.
Victoria immediately reached out to pat him on the back with a
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Chapter 4 Sit in the Front
worried look, and at the same time, she shot Kenneth a hateful glare. “Stop showing off! So what If you have good grades? Do you want us to give you a little golden star or something?”
If I don’t clear things up, I’m seen as a bad student who’s been faking it. If I do, I’m accused of showing off.
No matter what I do, it’s wrong.
Kenneth felt a sharp pain in his heart. He put away his phone and
fell silent.
After the coughing fit, Lucas quickly changed the subject. “I was just reminiscing about the time when you distributed supplies to
poor students. I still remember it was Kenneth who picked me up
back then…”
Victoria rushed to comfort him, “Come on, you weren’t ‘picked
up‘. He was just the one who introduced us. You’re so much better
than that! You deserve the best.”
She looked at the milkshake cups in her hand. “Hey, which flavor
do you want to drink? They’re all three–quarter–sweet, you know.”
Eleanor wasn’t much of a milkshake person, so when Victoria picked up two cups–one for herself and one for Lucas–she didn’t even spare a thought for Kenneth.
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Chapter 4 Sit in the Front
With a sweet smile, Victoria said, “I got them all at a lighter sweetness because I know that’s how you like it.”
In the past, Victoria always went for the extra–sweet option. She’d
grumble that medium–sweet milkshakes didn’t hit the spot and that the light–sweet ones were just too bitter.
But now, for Lucas‘ sake, she’d changed her preference, sipping
on the lighter–sweet milkshake with evident enjoyment.
Kenneth’s brows knitted tighter and tighter, and a sudden tightness in his chest made it hard to breathe.
Lucas, smiling and waving his hand dismissively, said, “I’m good.
Give it to Kenneth.”
Victoria scoffed, “No chance! I’m not giving it to him. You were just being a decent guy, but he had to flaunt his grades. Who’s he trying to show off to? Such a small–minded jerk!”
Victoria’s venomous words were like a barrage of knives, stabbing
deep into Kenneth’s heart. In particular, the word “petty” felt like an evil curse, squeezing his chest and causing a sharp ache.
He was so lost in the pain that it wasn’t until the car pulled up in front of the villa that he suddenly jolted back to reality.
Only then did he realize that his heart disease, which had been
dormant for ages, had unexpectedly flared up.
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They chose Him, I Le
