<b>Chapter </b><b>107 </b>
Scott offered <b>a </b>sheepish <b>smile</b>. Judging by Wade’s demeanor<b>, </b>he knew it was no longer prudent to suggest <b>a </b>meeting with Summer. He shook his <b>head </b>and said, “It’s nothing<b>.</b><b>” </b>
<ul>
<li>Wade didn’t press further. He nced at his watch, stood up, and announced<b>, </b>“We should be heading <b>out</b><b>.</b><b>” </b></li>
</ul>
<b>Mr. </b>Hammond <b>rose </b><b>from </b>his <b>seat</b><b>. </b>“Alright, let’s grab a bite before you head back to Riverdale<b>.</b><b>” </b>
“<b>Sure</b><b>,</b><b>” </b>Wade replied<b>, </b><b>raising </b>his hand <b>to </b><b>signal </b>there <b>was </b>no need for a <b>formal </b>farewell. He then left the office.
Scott <b>nodded </b><b>at Mr. </b>Hammond and followed <b>Wade </b><b>out</b>.
Back in the ssroom, Mirabe returned to her routine<b>, </b>deliberately ignoring the varying looks from her ssmates that <b>seemed </b>to change with each passing day. The first thing she <b>did </b>was <b>dive </b><b>into </b>her books. <b>After </b>the harsh lesson of losing precious points, she concluded that she hadn’t studied hard enough. It was time for some serious reflection!
Jenna observed Mira, who now seemed to radiate <b>an </b><b>aura </b><b>of </b>formidablebat power <b>as </b>if <b>one </b>could get hurt just by getting too close. Jenna couldn’t help but touch her nose <b>in </b>wonder. This girl had returned from the teacher’s office transformed<b>, </b>obviously having rified what went wrong on the test, and the blow to her pride was evident.
Feeling like Mirabe’s supportive friend, Jenna believed that while she couldn’t be much help academically, she could offer constion in times of disappointment. She strategized for a moment before gently poking Mirabe’s arm. “Hey. Queen <b>Mira</b><b>, </b><b>don’t </b>beat yourself up. It’s just a wrong answer on a test. You’re still top nationwide, so it’s really not a big deal<b>.</b>”
Mirabe turned her head, her deep eyesnding on Jenna with a weighty gaze, After a moment, she said somberly, “No, you don’t understand the agony of being penalized for an answer that’s beyond the sybus.”
Jenna, a bit confused, sputtered, “What? What’s this ‘agony of a beyond–the–sybus answer‘ you speak of?”
After several seconds, Mirabe shook her head and looked away, choosing not to borate further.
Jenna was left wondering if she had just been subtly insulted for her intelligence. After pondering Mirabe’s words, Jenna’s eyes suddenly widened in realization, “Wait, Queen Mira, you got penalized for that?”
Without looking up, Mirabe confirmed. “Yes<b>, </b>even though my answers were correct, I still lost ten points.” She was clearly not pleased.
Jenna was dumbfounded. So, was her assumption that Mira was devastated because of a wrong answer just her imagination?
She was so wrong. Mira would never be daunted, not in this lifetime.
With a heavy sigh, Jenna silently pulled out her textbook. If she <b>didn’t </b>buckle down, she feared she wouldn’t even deserve to be disappointed.
After thest ss of the afternoon<b>, </b>Mirabe packed her things and left the ssroom. As she descended the stairs of the academic building, fate would have it that she bumped into Summer, marking only the second encounter of the semester. The previous one was by the school gate.
Mirabe’s expression remained unchanged, merely ncing at Summer before averting her gaze and continuing toward the school exit.
Summer paused<b>, </b>seemingly surprised <b>to </b>see Mirabe, too. Thepetition results had soured her mood, which was why she left the ssroomter <b>than </b>usual today. Had she known <b>she’d </b>run into Mirabe, she would have left earlier. Though frustrated internally, Summer’s face didn’t betray <i>her </i>feelings, like <b>two </b>strangers indifferent to each other’s presence. She adjusted the strap of her purse and walked <b>towards </b>the school gate<b>, </b>albeit at a slower pace than usual.