When They Beg, I Rise!

Orion's gaze was unfathomable, "You trust me this much, not afraid I might fool you?"

"What's there for you to fool me out of?"

Lemira looked at him squarely, "You're pretty much my only friend right now."

Orion's gaze briefly faltered. A friend? His lips curled slightly, and then he put on a stern facade, "Don't just trust people willy-nilly in the future, especially men." "Got it, I'm off."

Lemira waved, slinging her backpack over her shoulder as she left the infirmary.

Orion remained seated long after she'd left, his eyes catching the sight of the cake on the desk. Memories of a car crash scene, with a ruined birthday cake, flashed through his mind.

His head began to throb uncontrollably. Since that car crash, he hadn't touched cake again.

After a while, he got a call, "Mr. Everhart, Ms. Langston has safely arrived home." Only then did Orion hang up, his silhouette stretching long in the setting sun.

---

Lemira found Lucian sitting on the sofa,

him without emotion,

what to say. He had suspected her of cheating when her grades

were genuine. Except these years Lemira's were mediocre for her school grades, how

Lemira had truly changed, and it wasn't just a phase of

to center around him seemed gone. She was genuinely putting in

lens and indeed been neglectful of Lemira's feelings, especially with Alaric's stunt at school.

"Yeah."

not safe out there with all sorts of people. Stop

pressed her lips; there it was again, decisions made

hired a tutor for her. You should join in. If Evelina struggles with anything, you can help her out. After all, you're classmates. When she was absent, you could take detailed notes

tall, "I don't want

the match, and since you won't join the