"Ah~"
Iris Kensington shot her head up, looking reluctant.
If you asked her what she hated most, it was definitely running. Just walking a 3000-meter race was enough to kill a person.
"Mr. Carlton, I have a heart condition. The doctor said I can't do any strenuous exercise."
Having been a head teacher for so many years, Julian Carlton had seen every trick in the book and was unmoved. "I'll call your dad in a bit. If you really do have a heart condition, I'll find a replacement."
At these words, Iris Kensington's eyes flew wide. With her dad's fiery temper, if he found out she'd faked a heart condition, there was no telling if he'd beat her when she got home. "No, no, no, Mr. Carlton, I was just kidding."
Anna Willow let out an unsympathetic laugh.
Holly Winslow struggled to hold back her laughter. She couldn't build her happiness on someone else's suffering.
But she couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing anyway.
Iris Kensington shot them an irritated glare and said through gritted teeth, "I'm not friends with you for five minutes!"
Lynn Hayes was known for her quiet and gentle nature. Although she was reluctant to be picked, she didn't react like Iris Kensington.
Seeing Mr. Carlton leave, Iris Kensington felt all was lost. She slumped onto her desk, clutching her head and wailing dramatically, "It's over, it's over, everything's over! After the sports meet, Iris Kensington will be no more."
She made Holly Winslow and Anna Willow laugh again. Anna patted her little head soothingly and said with a wicked grin, "Don't worry, Ellie. Holly and I will definitely collect your body."
"Anna's right," Holly Winslow agreed, revealing a row of teeth in a smile.
"Anna Willow! Holly Winslow! We're not friends for ten minutes!" Iris Kensington yelled, fuming.
In the row behind them, Xavier Jennings sat with one leg crossed over the other, his eyes fixed on Holly Winslow. When he saw her laugh, he laughed too.
Xavier Jennings's deskmate, Beau Sullivan, noticed and nudged him with an elbow. "Bro," he teased, "stare any harder and your eyeballs are gonna fall out."
Caught red-handed, Xavier Jennings was a little embarrassed. Then he snapped, "Get lost. It's none of your damn business."
Beau Sullivan wasn't bothered by his tone and continued, "I'm just saying, bro, it's already our second year. If you don't make a move soon, we'll have graduated."
"Like I need you worrying about me," Xavier Jennings scoffed. "Why don't you come gloat to me after you've actually managed to win over the class beauty from next door."
Beau Sullivan didn't say anything, just raised his eyebrows. Xavier Jennings's face darkened. "You got her?" His tone was tinged with jealousy.
Beau Sullivan nodded, unable to hide his smugness. "We got together last week. Even went out on Saturday, and while we were at it..." He trailed off with a sly chuckle.
What he meant was obvious.
"Get outta here, just get lost," Xavier Jennings said, a little envious.
'Even a devil-may-care guy like Beau Sullivan managed to get the class beauty from next door, but I still haven't won over Holly Winslow. Am I too ugly?'
He fell into a spiral of self-doubt.
...
「The next day」
It was time for the monthly exams.
Holly Winslow was assigned to take the exam in her own classroom, while Anna Willow and Iris Kensington were in the one next door.
The academic representative, Mina Shaw, was sitting in front of Holly Winslow. In the past, this would have been a prime opportunity for cheating, but now Holly wanted to take the test honestly and see where she truly stood.
The morning consisted of two exams: Language Arts and Math.
The Language Arts test went relatively smoothly, but Math was a different story. Even though she had paid close attention in class for the past two weeks, her foundational knowledge was just too poor.
After the exams ended, Holly Winslow packed up her scratch paper, placed it on her desk, and then took out the three friends' lunch boxes to wait for Iris Kensington and Anna Willow.
"Holly, I'm so dead," Iris Kensington cried out, completely drained of energy.
You could tell at a glance that she had been ravaged by the math exam.
Anna Willow also yelled with a miserable look on her face, "The math test was so hard this time! I held my pen for thirty minutes and then slept for an hour and a half."
Holly Winslow: "..."
"I told you guys to pay attention in class, but you wouldn't listen. Now you know how tough it is."
She patted both their shoulders and said magnanimously, "Just try harder next time. Come on, I'll treat you to steamed pork ribs with rice flour to soothe your wounded souls."
Iris Kensington perked up immediately and hastily dropped her scratch paper. "Then let's go, quick! If we're late, the steamed pork ribs will be all gone."
By the time the three of them rushed to the cafeteria, it was already crowded.
Iris Kensington went to save them a table while Holly Winslow and Anna Willow got in line.
They were late today, and the line was very long.
Anna Willow scanned the front of the line for any familiar faces. Sure enough, she spotted one and, shamelessly, pulled Holly Winslow with her to cut in.
As for Brian Willow, who was wearing the red armband of the student council, they completely ignored him.
Brian Willow pretended not to see the two of them and walked toward the back of the line to manage the crowd.
Holly Winslow's "old face" burned with embarrassment. Although she had often done such unethical things back in her school days, she had long since changed her ways.
However, given the choice between waiting in a long line for cold food and unethically cutting in for a hot meal, she still chose to cut in.
And it wasn't just the two of them cutting in. Someone else took advantage of Brian Willow being distracted and slipped into the very front of the line.
It was a good thing they cut in, too. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gotten any steamed pork ribs today.
After the two got their food and came out, Brian Willow said to Anna Willow, "Save two more seats." As he spoke, he glanced at Holly Winslow, but it was so quick that neither Holly nor Anna noticed.
"Let me go check. Ellie is the one saving seats today," Anna Willow said with a nod.
Iris Kensington had only saved three seats. The adjacent tables were all occupied by students who had just gotten their food.
Anna Willow had no choice but to tell Brian Willow and then returned to her seat to eat.
Iris Kensington spat out a bone. "Anna, eat up! The ribs are delicious today."
Anna Willow picked up a piece with her spoon and stuffed it into her mouth. "Mmm, so... good."
...
The sinks for washing dishes were swarmed with people. Holly Winslow and her friends couldn't squeeze in, so they waited off to the side.
At Jarton Second High, there were three rules for mealtime: run fast, eat fast, and wash fast.
Being slow at the first two directly affected the last one.
Brian Willow and Chris Chaucer saw the three girls as they came out after finishing their meal.
The two boys walked over. Brian Willow spoke in his uniquely magnetic voice, "Give me your bowls. You all should hurry back and review for this afternoon's exams. Just come straight to the cafeteria later; Chris and I will get your food for you."
The only real perk of being in the student council was getting to get food a few minutes early.
How could Holly Winslow let him wash their dishes? She quickly shook her head. "There's no need—"
Before she could finish, Anna Willow snatched the lunch boxes and shoved them at Brian Willow. She said without ceremony, "Thanks, Bro!"
Chris Chaucer took Iris Kensington's lunch box, and her face turned beet red.
Anna Willow pulled the other two away, declaring magnanimously, "Holly, Ellie, what are you being so polite for? My brother is your brother."
With Chris Chaucer out of sight, Iris Kensington reverted to her lively self and said with mock disdain, "Anna, to be honest, if I were your brother, I really wouldn't want a sister like you."
"Iris Kensington! See if I don't tickle you!" Anna Willow immediately started tickling Iris's waist.
Iris Kensington immediately ran ahead. "Hahaha... I was wrong, Anna!"
Holly Winslow watched them fool around from behind, but then Iris Kensington and Anna Willow doubled back to tickle her.
The three of them immediately started roughhousing, dissolving into a fit of laughter.
On their way past the school store, Iris Kensington pulled Holly Winslow and Anna Willow inside and bought each of them a carton of milk.
Holly Winslow and Anna Willow didn't stand on ceremony.
The three of them sipped their milk, and after checking their watches and seeing there was still plenty of time, they went for a walk around the athletic field.