Chapter 8
I lazily raised my eyes and said, “If I’m not mistaken, you’re at the bottom of the class in the second mock exams, right? How do you feel about that?”
“Ugh, boring.” The boy turned away in embarrassment and walked to the back of the classroom.
And with that, the whispers around us faded into silence.
After the evening study session, I stood at my door, fumbling for my keys.
Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound of plates and cups breaking from the house next door, followed by the faint sound of a mother and son
arguing.
The door to their house suddenly burst open, startling me as I was unlocking mine.
Cody appeared, his face showing signs of exhaustion.
When he saw me, a flicker of hope appeared in his expression.
‘Annabell, are you here to talk to me?”
To talk to you about what?”
To talk to me about studying, or about going to university with you…”
shook my head. “That’s your own matter. It has nothing to do with me.”
At least we’ve known each other for a long time. To me, you’re an important friend.”
n the end, he was just not used to not having a friend around.
To me, friends are those with similar ideals,” I turned the key, opening the door with a snap. “So you’re not a friend.”
Cody, unwilling to let go, pressed against the door, still trying to say something, but I cut him off abruptly.
The college entrance exam is coming soon. I need to adjust my routine. Don’t bother me.”
le seemed stung by the hostility in my eyes, and slowly, he let go with a sense of dejection.
Maybe he had grown tired of skipping school and playing around every day, or maybe it was because he had finally yielded to his mother’s incessant agging.
week before the college entrance exam, Cody broke up with Lena and returned to class.
le dyed his hair back from chestnut brown to black, put on his school uniform again, and resumed studying and solving problems as meticulously as efore.
When the biology teacher was discussing the genetics problem from previous years’ exams, a loud commotion suddenly erupted outside.
n the midst of the noise, I finally caught the key information-Lena was about to jump off the building.
he moment I realized this, a primal fear surged within me, twisting my gut in pain.
remembered the last time-how I had nearly lost everything because of her death.
ust then, the bell for the next class rang, and the crowd rushed toward the rooftop.
‘Senior! What did I do wrong?” The wind on the rooftop was strong, tousling Lena’s hair. “Why can you so casually let go of our relationship?”
The grade supervisor, who had always regarded Lena as a problem student and frequently scolded her, suddenly spoke gently, “Lena, don’t be too mpulsive. You’re still young. Don’t do something foolish.”
Tody’s face was also panicked. “Come down first. We can talk about this slowly, okay?”
Tears streaked down Lena’s face, and for a moment, her expression turned almost grotesque. “You don’t like me, do you? the you like Annabel? That Dendy
“Besides her grades, what else does she have? Would she skip class with you? Would she listen patiently to your troubles? Would she break the rules for you?”
“Clearly, I’m the one who likes you the most! We are the most compatible!”
By the end, her voice nearly broke from the strain.
Such obsessive love is twisted-it’s extreme,
It can become unbearable and lead to a fall into the abyss if one is not careful.
“No, it’s not because I like Annabell, Lena, please come down. Let me explain everything to you.”
Cody tried to stop her several times, but Lena wouldn’t listen,
Suddenly, she wiped her tears, her eyes burning with determination as she pointed at the ground below, “Then say you like me, say we’ll never break up.
Otherwise, I’ll jump and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life,”
The height of the six-story school building meant that even if she miraculously survived, she’d likely be severely disabled.
The wind tousled Cody’s hair, barely covering the corners of his eyes.
He clenched his fists tightly, remaining silent for a long time before he finally had no choice but to give in, “Alright, I promise.”
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.