From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent

Chapter 115

No mistake Anthea glanced back with a slight turn of her head, her clear eyes free of any imperfection Tht Anthea Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me, Lizzie?”

The original Anthea was known for her vulgar tastes and foolish behavior, a social pariah despite her family’s fortune Heavy makeup was her armor. Though she was an heiress, her classmates looked down on het, with no one willing to associate with her. Lizzie, her deskmate, was the only friend she had in class.

Far from shunning Anthea, Lizzie always stood by her, ready to leap to her defense whenever someone tried to bully her.

Holy smokes! Stunned, Lizzie could only gape.

That voice was unmistakably Anthea’s, but that face…

Lizzie swallowed hard, with her eyes wide with disbelief. Anthea always caked on makeup and never seemed to care for the dress code, but without her mask of cosmetics, she was strikingly beautiful.

Not only was Lizzie thrown for a loop, but the whole class was also shell–shocked upon catching a glimpse of Anthea’s makeup–free face for the first time in nearly three years.

“Ann, you look stunning without makeup!” Lizzie exclaimed. “I always told you that you’d be gorgeous In nature, but you never believed me!”

As Anthea’s close friend, Lizzie had repeatedly urged her to forgo makeup, to no avail. But now, after a summer break, Anthea had embraced her natural look.

“Yeah,” Anthea nodded, “I’m done with makeup for good.”

“For real?” Lizzie lit up her face.

“Absolutely!”

Lizzie grinned. “That’s more like it! You’re even prettier than the school’s beauty now. I bet you’ll dethrone her in no time!”

then, a subtle sound filled

to the front of the fourth group. Resting her hands on the desk, she towered over the boy who had just tried to snap a photo of her with his phone.

“Hand it over.”

turning a bright shade of

phone,” Anthea said evenly.

his phone and handed it

phone back to him. “Don’t take photos of me without permission, got it?”

mumbled,

he realized he hadn’t told her

on earth Anthea unlocked his phone and deleted

cool just now!” Lizzie wrapped her arm around Anthea’s as she

11:56

raised an

did you become so vain?” Casually pulling out a textbook, Anthea replied, “Am I not stating the obvious?”

Lizzie was speechless.

class president approached. “Anthea,

stood and made her way

teacher, looked up from his grading

see me?” Anthea stood

are you?” He couldn’t recall such a student in his class. “It’s me, Anthea.” replied Anthea.

his expression a roller coaster

long moment, he handed her the previous semester’s report card.

took the report card,