Chapter 1
The day our practice test scores came out, I moved up from fifth to third in our grade.
Meanwhile, Vanessa dropped from twentieth to somewhere in the thirties.
Someone commented: “What happened to Vanessa? She’s fallen so far behind.”
“And Lily’s moved up two more spots.”
She immediately teared up and glared at me.
“Happy now, Lily?”
“You study so hard just to make everyone think Ethan made a poor choice picking me, don’t you?”
Then she stormed out.
The bell rang for class, but she never came back.
Our clueless teacher asked me, as class president, to find her.
Half an hour later, I spotted Vanessa sitting on a planter near the basketball court.
Ethan was bent over, speaking softly to console her.
Whatever he said made her smile through her tears.
Sunlight filtered through the trees onto the pair, creating a scene straight out of a teen drama.
When Ethan noticed me approaching, his eyes narrowed. As if to appease Vanessa, he tossed his basketball toward me.
Accidentally, it hit my hearing aid.
After a buzzing sound, my left ear went completely silent.
Ethan clearly hadn’t expected this–surprise flashed across his face for a split second.
Then he walked toward me.
“Lily, you should transfer schools.”
“Vanessa has a temper. She keeps fighting with me because of you.”
Just a month ago, he had asked me:
“Lily, will you be my girlfriend after SAT?”
Chapter 1
1 hesitated to refuse with SAT so close.
Ethan continued, “Don’t make this difficult for me.”
“Every day you’re here is another day Vanessa will be upset.”
“You wouldn’t want to make things hard for your dad, would you?”
My father worked at Ethan’s family company.
For Vanessa’s sake, he was threatening my dad’s job.
I knew Dad had worked at their company for years–from age twenty–two to forty–five. I couldn’t let him lose his job in middle age because of me.
“Fine,” I agreed.
Ethan seemed relieved. “Once she calms down, I’ll bring you back.”
Vanessa apparently overheard and strutted over, possessively tugging at Ethan’s hand:
“Ethan, I think Lincoln High would be perfect.”
Lincoln was ranked dead last among high schools in our city.
Ethan knew this perfectly well.
But he just smiled lazily. “Alright, whatever you want.”
I clenched the broken pieces of my hearing aid in my palm until they dug into my skin.
The pain helped me hold back tears.
After a long moment, I tossed the broken hearing aid into the trash and walked away.
Ethan quickly arranged my transfer.
News that I was leaving spread throughout the school.
As I packed my things, people whispered around me:
“Seriously? Ethan’s really kicking Lily out for Vanessa? Didn’t they grow up together?”
“Hey, that’s why they say childhood sweethearts can’t beat love at first sight. Ethan used to be so good to Lily, but since Vanessa showed up, he hasn’t walked home with Lily once.”
“What a shame. Lily’s grades are so good–she had a shot at Harvard or Yale. Transferring now will definitely hurt her
chances.”
u be wasted.
Under everyone’s pitying stares, I carried my things toward the exit.
When I reached the stairwell, I overheard Ethan’s friend trying to reason with him:
“She has a hearing impairment, man. Won’t she get bullied at another school?”
“You grew up together. You used to be crazy about her. Are you really okay with sending her away?”
Ethan leaned against the wall and chuckled.
“What’s there to feel bad about? The past is the past. Childhood sweethearts can’t compete with love at first sight, haven’t you heard?”
“Besides, in three months, I’ll bring her back.”
After saying this, he sensed something and looked up.
He saw me standing at the top of the stairs.
His eyes fell on my slightly swollen ear, and he frowned.
Instinctively, he came forward and grabbed my hand.
“Come on, let me buy you a new hearing aid first.”
“Consider it my replacement for the broken one.”
I shook my head.
“No need. That hearing aid was originally a gift from you anyway.”
“Now we’re even.”
