Chapter 47
“Th–three.” Zachary stammered, caught off guard by the question.
As soon
the words left his mouth, the bus rolled to a stop, letting in a fresh crowd of passengers. The momentary hush inside the bus vanished, replaced by the familiar clamor of chatter and shuffling feet.
“Did I hear that right? Did that girl just call Zachary her brother?“\\\
“Her real brother? I thought his sister was Ileana?”
“Oh, wait–I remember now. Shirley said Ileana’s family took her back. Apparently her biological parents are loaded, so she won’t be at our school this semester. She’s transferring across the street to Aristocrat Academy.”
“What? Real–life princess vibes! How lucky can one person get? She already had three handsome brothers–everyone was jealous enough about that. I figured she’d be down on her luck after her family went bankrupt, but now, surprise, she’s a rich heiress again?”
“Comparing yourself to others just makes you miserable.”
“So that means the heiress we knew was a fake?”
“Wow, that’s wild. Suddenly, this school day doesn’t seem so hard to get through after all.”
“But didn’t her family go bankrupt? How do they still have money to send her to that fancy school?”
That’s what you don’t get. She’d rather die than come to a regular school like ours. Gotta keep up appearances, even if it kills you.“?! Zachary couldn’t take it anymore. He opened his mouth to argue, but Alessia gently pressed his hand, stopping him. Frustration burned in his eyes, but he swallowed it down and looked at her instead.
“People’s dark sides work like that, Alessia said quietly, her voice calm and detached. “If you try to argue with them, you just end up stuck in a mess trying to prove yourself. Whether you win or lose, they don’t care about the truth. That’s why it’s so easy to start a rumor, but nearly impossible to clear your name.”
Her composure only made Zachary’s heart ache. It was as if, after hearing too many rumors, she could finally see through it all. She didn’t feel the need to defend herself anymore, just watched everyone invent stones about her–and could even laugh it off, her indifference making it almost painful to witness.
If lleana were here, she would have dragged him into a noisy argument night there in the aisle
Not that he thought that was wrong. But in this moment, Zachary finally understood what it meant to say. “Those who are loved can afford to be fearless.” No matter how much trouble lleana caused, they would always stand by her side, ready to support her!! Zachary pressed his lips together, and neither of them spoke again until their stop arrived.
The two schools stood across from each other, but the scenes at their gates couldn’t have been more different. On one side, Crestview High students in uniforms, backpacks slung over their shoulders, made their way inside, some munching on sandwiches or seaweed rolls picked up from the food stalls behind the school.
Across the street, luxury cars lined the entrance of Aristocrat Academy. Butlers in black tailcoats swung open car doors, bowing as their young charges strode in, each one sporting a designer backpack and a distinctively stylish outfit!
Students from Crestview High cast glances across the road–some curious, some dismissive, some quietly envious. The private academy students, meanwhile, had no time for gossip, already deep in animated debates about who would take home the trophy that day!!
Of course, there were always a few who wanted to stir up trouble.
“Guess life really is unfair someone remarked, a mixture of envy and resignation in their voice.
A friend just snorted in contempt.
“Look at them. Not even acting like students–always showing off. No wonder they never beat us in exams.”
“Oh, look, if it isn’t one of Crestview’s grade–obsessed students. A boy rounded the comer, his clothes edged with rebellious flair. One ear sported a dangling cross earring, his hair dyed a bright red. He bit into a seaweed roll, grinning as he joined the group.
