Chapter 27 Bad Timing
A few students whispered quietly among themselves.
To them, Class Six kids were just the kind you stayed away from.
+8 Pearls
The second you were anywhere near one of them, people acted like you had some kind of disease.
Eliza caught the judgmental stares. For a second, she felt like calling them out–seriously? Get over yourselves, you little punks.
But then she shook it off. Not worth the drama. There’s no point wasting energy on this.
Nolan, sitting nearby, frowned. The noise was clearly getting on his nerves.
He lifted his head and gave the room a cold once–over. The second his
Not one of them dared to say another word.
eyes landed on them, everyone went silent.
Everyone knew Nolan had a record–he’d hurt someone and been sent to juvenile detention.
He wasn’t just some street punk. He was the kind of person you stayed far away
“Eliza.” Nolan’s voice was low and rough, like he’d just woken
She caught the exhaustion in his tone. Why’s he asking me?
from.
“Call me when class ends.”
The rest of the class looked even more uneasy, shooting glances their way.
Zayden sat in front and heard Nolan’s words clearly. A moment later, he stood up from his seat.
Whether it was on purpose or not, the noise of the chair dragging back echoed across the room.
He dragged the chair back and sat down in the same row as Eliza.
The air in the room instantly shifted. Something felt off.
The teacher didn’t mess around. They were expected to finish an entire test in two periods, go over the answers, and identify every mistake. Anyone with poor results wasn’t expected to come back next week.
The teacher focused on the students who actually wanted to improve. If you weren’t putting in the effort, the teacher didn’t waste time on you.
Eliza didn’t dare slack off. While others found excuses to slack off, she stayed locked in, flipping through problems and working nonstop.
H2 H3 H 3 NHO
Zayden kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
He’d thought she would give up on the math competition after what he said–but inste Outside the classroom, Naomi peeked in through the doorway and called softly, “Zayden.”
Even though she barely whispered, everyone inside heard her.
Heads turned toward the back of the room.
The teacher looked up briefly, then glanced back down when he saw it was Naomi.
she seemed even more motivated.
Naomi’s grades were excellent, and her parents–the Rivers family–had made it very clear to the school that she wasn’t to be –enrolled in any prep classes or special tutoring.
They’d said Naomi was going abroad in the future, so things like piano and painting were way more important than test prep.
So even though there were training programs like this one, her family never let her take part.
No one wanted to risk crossing a family like that.
+8 Pearls
Chapter 27 Bad Timing
“What are you doing here? Don’t you have piano lessons?” Zayden asked. He was supposed to be studying at the International Music Academy next door until 5 p.m.
But it was only 3:30 now.
“I snuck out,” Naomi said with a playful grin. “Piano’s so boring. Come shopping with me, Zayden.”
Her eyes lit up the moment she said it.
The rest of the class turned back to their work, pretending not to notice.
Most of them were gearing up for senior year–crammed schedules, constant pressure. But Naomi? She was still out here goofing off like it was middle school.
Some of the girls gave her a quick side–eye, full of judgment.
Still, none of them said anything out loud. Naomi’s status made her untouchable.
“I’m in the middle of class. I can’t go shopping right now,” Zayden said, clearly frustrated. “You should head back. If Mr. Nathan and Madam Evelyn find out you skipped your lesson again, they’ll be upset.”
Back in freshman year, things were easier. He used to take Naomi out on weekends all the time.
But things were different now. Senior year was right around the corner, and there was no time for distractions.
“Zayden, you’re amazing at math. You’re totally going to win the citywide competition!” Naomi said with pleading eyes. “Just come hang out with me today. Please?”
In the back of the room, Eliza cringed at the sound of her voice.
Naomi had always clung to Zayden like that. She never seemed to get it–this isn’t the time.
This competition mattered–a lot.
Zayden’s mom had always expected a lot from him.
He might not always come in first, but he was expected to be in the top three. No excuses.
For something like the citywide competition, where the school’s reputation was on the line, his mom had already made it clear–Zayden had to place high.
If he didn’t, Grace would come down hard on him. Again.
Zayden had grown up under that kind of pressure. For him, it was the kind of thing that left a mark–it was a nightmare he could never shake.
Zayden saw the look on Naomi’s face and hesitated. “Fine,” he said. “But at five, I’m having someone take you home. It’s not safe to be out that late.”
