Chapter 169 Crossed the Line at Last

Chapter 169 Crossed the Line at Last

Stephanie's POV

I stared at the familiar smiling face in front of me, frozen for several long seconds before I could even process what I was seeing.

Her hair was a bit longer than the last time we'd met, falling casually over her shoulders. She looked sharp and put-together—completely different from before.

"Vera?!" The word burst out of me. "What are you doing here?"

She lowered her hand with a laugh, tilting her head at me. "What, I'm not allowed to be here?"

"You said you were just here to substitute teach temporarily."

"That was the original plan." She shrugged. "But I found this school way more interesting than I expected. Especially when I heard that a certain legendary cheerleading captain was coaching here. I figured if you were working this hard, I couldn't fall behind. So I applied for the Dean of Students position."

I stared at her, still struggling to believe it. "You actually applied? And got it?"

"Of course." She raised an eyebrow. "What, you don't think I'm qualified?"

"That's not what I meant." I waved my hands quickly. "I just remember you always valued your freedom. You never wanted to be tied down by a regular job."

"I didn't get it before. But now I know that being Dean of Students means I can crack down on students who skip class and goof off. Suddenly I'm very motivated." A meaningful smile crossed her face. "I actually love this job now."

I couldn't help but laugh. "So how many troublemakers have you caught since taking office?"

"Still in the observation and assessment phase." Her expression turned serious. "But I did hear about a girl on the cheer team named Mia who's made incredible progress. Word is you gave her some advice—told her she didn't need to keep count of every fall, just needed to stay calm."

"You know about something that small?" I was genuinely surprised.

"I'm the Dean of Students." She lifted her chin slightly. "I have to pay attention to everything that happens at this school, big or small. I also know that last week, when a team member's knee was bothering her after practice, you spent an extra ten minutes icing it for her."

"You know about that too?"

"Like I said, I'm the Dean of Students. And these little thoughtful things you do—a lot of people notice. They're happy to spread the word."

I laughed. "Looks like I've really made a name for myself at this school."

"You sure have! You're the person who led the charge to make the school take anti-bullying seriously!" Vera linked her arm through mine. "Come on, Ms. Johnson. Do me the honor of grabbing coffee with me."

We headed to a nearby coffee shop and settled in.

Vera gazed out the window at the passersby, then spoke softly. "I honestly never thought I'd settle down and do regular work."

"So why did you choose to stay?" I asked.

She lowered her head, her fingertip tracing the rim of her coffee cup. After a long silence, she smiled faintly.

"I guess you influenced me. I heard about everything you went through at school before. I've always avoided settling down, drifting from place to place. But when I saw you come back to coach, even standing up on stage to give anti-bullying talks… something clicked. Instead of wandering aimlessly forever, why not find a place and do something that actually matters?"

She looked up at me. "So I tried applying. And somehow, I actually ended up staying."

"What about Ava?" I couldn't help asking. "Does she know you're staying here?"

Vera's expression flickered slightly. Several seconds passed before she took a deep breath, as if finally preparing herself to come clean.

But just as she opened her mouth to speak, a tall figure walked through the coffee shop door.

"Vera." Ava stood in the doorway, giving her a small wave.

Vera's lips immediately curved into a tender smile. She turned to me and grinned. "Speak of the devil."

Ava walked over and greeted me politely. "Stephanie, it's been a while."

Then she turned to Vera. "When are you heading back?"

"Right now." Vera set down her coffee cup and stood up. "Let's wrap this up. Can't have your Econ Sec worrying sick over you stumbling home late."

I laughed at her teasing, about to respond, when I noticed her gently swaying her hand—which was tightly interlaced with Ava's.

My eyes widened instantly as everything clicked into place.

So they'd finally confessed their feelings to each other.

No wonder Vera had seemed hesitant earlier when talking about staying at the school. It was all because of Ava.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "When did you two get together?"

"It's been a while." Vera feigned indifference. "We just haven't had a chance to tell you yet. You and Christopher are so busy being all lovey-dovey, who has time to worry about old friends like us?"

"Nice excuse." I teased her with a smile. "Christopher was just asking about you last night, wondering how you've been. And here you two have been together this whole time, keeping it from us."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! My dear Stephanie, don't hold it against me!"

"Fine, I'll reluctantly forgive you." I lifted my chin, unable to hide my smile. "Either way, I'm genuinely happy for you both."

"Thanks." Vera glanced tenderly at Ava, then turned back to wink at me. "Alright, you should head back too. Any later and Christopher will be calling to track you down."

"Okay." I nodded with a smile.

I watched their figures walk away side by side.

---

The cheerleading competition arrived faster than I'd expected.

On the day of the competition, I stood on the sidelines, watching the team members in their matching uniforms doing their pre-competition warmups. My heart was full of emotions.

The last time I'd stood on this field, I'd been a competing cheerleading captain.

Years had passed in the blink of an eye, and now I'd switched roles—I was the coach watching over them from the sidelines.

Mia stood in the middle of the group, carefully tying her shoelaces before looking up in my direction.

I gave her a warm smile and made an encouraging gesture.

Mia immediately broke into a sweet smile, her eyes crinkling.

Every single one of my team members had worked incredibly hard.

Deborah watched the girls on the field and remarked to me that while they might not match my skills from back then, given their limited training time, reaching this level was already exceptional.

"And they have something of you in them," Deborah leaned in to say quietly.

I smiled sheepishly. "It's because you're such a great teacher. Without you, there wouldn't have been me back then—and there wouldn't be them now."

Deborah smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Enough reminiscing. Focus on the competition."

The team members took turns performing, seriously executing every routine.

The entire competition lasted all afternoon. Soon we reached the most nerve-wracking, most anticipated part—the awards ceremony.

The host walked onto the stage, preparing to announce the final rankings.

Third place—not us.

Second place—not us either.

"And the overall champion of this competition is—" The host deliberately slowed down, drawing out everyone's anticipation.

My heart clenched. I nervously closed my eyes.