- Jake quickly arranged my transfer.
- The whole school knew I was leaving.
- As I packed my things, people whispered.
- “No way, Jake’s really kicking Sarah out for
- Mia? I thought they were childhood
- sweethearts?”
- “Yeah, ‘childhood sweethearts can’t beat the
- one who comes after.‘ Jake used to be so
- good to Sarah. Ever since Mia showed up, he
- hasn’t walked home with Sarah once.”
- “Such a shame. Sarah’s grades are so good,
- she had a shot at Harvard or Yale.
- Transferring now will really hurt her chances.”
- “I heard she’s going to Northwood. That place
- L
- is known for being a troublemaker’s den. If
- Sarah goes there, all her hard work will be
- ruined.”
- Under everyone’s sympathetic gazes, I carried
- my things and prepared to leave.
- As I walked to the stairwell, I overheard Jake’s
- best friend trying to talk to him.
- “You know Sarah has a hearing impairment,
- right? Do you think she’ll be okay at another
- school alone? Won’t she get bullied?”
- “You guys grew up together, you used to like
- her so much. Can you really bear to send her
- away?”
- Jake leaned against the wall and chuckled.
- “What’s there to not bear? That was then.
- ‘First love can’t beat the one who comes
- after,‘ haven’t you heard?”
- “Besides, I’ll have her back in three months.”
- He seemed to sense something and looked
- L
- up.
- He saw me standing at the top of the stairs.
- His gaze fell on my slightly swollen ear, and
- he frowned.
- He instinctively stepped forward and took my
- hand.
- “Come on, I’ll take you to get a new hearing
- aid.”
- “Consider it my apology.”
- I shook my head.
- “No need. That hearing aid was a gift from
- you anyway.”
- “Now we’re even.”
- The moment he broke my hearing aid, the
- stinging in my ear made me decide I didn’t
- want anything to do with him anymore.
