"For real?" Qadir''s face broke into a massive grin, and the color returned to Queenie''s cheeks.


    "Absolutely," Dolce confirmed, nodding emphatically. "And her brother came to pick her up to take her out to lunch."


    "So that''s why she left..." Qadir clutched his chest in relief, feeling like he''d just dodged a bullet. He had been mentally preparing to convince his father to donate a new library to the school to get Juniper reinstated.


    "Are you sure that''s what you heard?" a ssmate pressed, inching closer. "Juniper got another perfect score?"


    "Yes," Dolce announced loudly, making sure to shoot a pointed look at Jolene. “ording to the physics teacher, not only did she ace it again, but she finished early. I followed the teachers for a bit and overheard them talking. Apparently, Juniper already learned everything years ago—all of high school, maybe even college-level stuff."


    The surrounding students gasped, their jaws practically hitting the floor. While they were ying in the mud as kids, Juniper was apparently mastering advanced calculus.


    "Then why did the teachers look so upset when they came out?" someone asked, getting to the heart of the matter.


    Dolce stifled augh. “Oh, that. The teachers from the other sses were trying to get Juniper to transfer. Our teachers wouldn''t let her go, and things got pretty heated. From what I hear, if the principal hadn''t been there, a full-on brawl might have broken out."


    Their friend Juniper had be the school''s most prized possession.


    Queenie burst outughing. It reminded her of when she first enrolled, and the teachers had nearlye to blows over who would get her in their ss.


    "By the way," Dolce added, "Juniper''s brother said you two should meet them at the school gate."


    “Got it,” they said in unison, immediately heading off.


    Jolene stood frozen, the students'' excited chatter ringing in her ears.


    Dancer, genius... It was like she had all the luck in the world.


    Frustration and envy coiled in her stomach. If she couldn''t get Juniper kicked out, how was she supposed to collect the money from Ynda? Hermands clenched into tight fists hereyes darkening with resentment.


    Later, in a private garden on the rooftop of Moonlight Peak, Qadir and Queenie sat


    stiffly at the dining table, their eyes wide with awe.


    They had never imagined that "going


    out to lunch meanting to a ce like this. Qadir''s family was well-off, but not "private rooftop dining at Moonlight Peak" well-off. Queenie was even more stummed; she''d never dreamed she''d even set foot inside the city''s most exclusive restaurant, let alone on its roof. They truly owed Juniper for this.


    "...and three desserts. Add extra mango to one of them," Shanley instructed the waiter after cing. their order The waiter bowed respectfully and departed.


    “Juniper,” Shanley said, pouring her a ss of lemon water. “Put your phone away


    for a bit and have some water."