Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Elijah replied, “Just sometimes.”
He didn’t have many friends, so sometimes he came by himself.
Cameron grinned. “Then we should come more often.”
Elijah raised an eyebrow. “We?”
Cameron said, “Yeah, let’s bring Brad and the others next time.”
Elijah nodded.
Cameron lifted her cup and said, “This meal’s on me, Elijah. Thanks for helping me get rid of Milena the other day.”
Elijah gently clinked his cup against hers. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Your sister’s Milena, right? You two don’t seem to get along?”
After that, he added, “If you don’t want to talls about your family stuff, you don’t have to) Honestly, Elijah wasn’t that nosy. But there was just something about Cameron that drew him in, like she carried secrets worth unravelling.
People said all kinds of things about Cameron. But the more time Elijah spent with her, the more he realized she was nothing like the rum
Cameron replied casually, “Yeah, we’re not really close.”
While flipping the chicken wings, Elijah said, “Xander seems to get along pretty well with your sister”
There were quite a few times Xander bulled heads with Cameron because of Milena. Cameron just shook her head, wrapped some pork belly in lettuce, added sauce, took a bite, and only after finishing did she say, “I don’t know.”
She had no clue how Xander and Milena met or became so close. And honestly, she didn’t care to know. The Wallace family had nothing to do with her, so whatever happened to them was none of her business either,
Elijah handed her a grilled chicken wing. “Xander really has questionable taste.”
Cameron smiled. “Thanks,”
What Xander liked or didn’t like wasn’t her problem.
There were only two months left until the SAT, and after that, everyone would head off to college and start over somewhere new. They probably wouldn’t even run into each other again, and nothing would matter by then.
Elijah grilled a few pieces for her, and she did the same for him. Lunch turned out great simple, relaxed, and only cost 100 dollars. However, it was way more satisfying than yesterday’s meal, which cost 15 grand.
Maybe because the annoying Xander wasn’t around.
As they parted ways on the street, Elijah said, “It’s two o’clock. Are you heading back to school now?”
Cameron replied, “I’m returning to Noble Vista for a bit.”
Elijah nodded. “I should be able to move in as your neighbor next weekend.”
Cameron was speechless, not knowing what to do with these rich and reckless boys. But she just smiled and waved at Elijah before she made her way back home.
When she arrived, Xander was waiting outside her door. “Took you that long just to eat? I thought you weren’t coming back”
“What are you doing at my door?” Cameron asked.
Xander shrugged. “What else? I’m here for tutoring.”
Cameron raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t know you were such a nerd.”
Xander retorted, “Hey, the SAT’s coming up.”
Cameron unlocked the door, and Xander followed her in.
Xander rubbed his face and cleared his throat. “Cameron, you really never go back to Wallace Villa? Don’t you want to see your parents? Want me to go with you?”
Cameron turned around. “What’s it got to do with you? Are you here for tutoring or something else? If you want to visit Wallace Villa, you can go alone.”
Xander immediately dropped the subject. “Of course, I’m here for tutoring.”
Cameron spent another two hours that afternoon tutoring him, and by the end of that, Xander transferred her 70 thousand dollars on the spot.
He glanced at his phone and said, “See? Yesterday’s dinner was 15 grand, and today I just paid you 70 grand. Told you I wasn’t trying to rip you off.”
He had no idea why the other guys were losing their minds over it.
Cameron said with a straight face, “You’re welcome to find a better tutor for yourself.”
Xander chose to stay silent.
Cameron went back to school with Xander.
The results for the third mock exam were out, and they were posted on the school’s bulletin board. Cameron had made steady progress; she now ranked 12th in Class 15 and 80th in the whole grade.
Cameron was pretty happy with that.
Xander glanced at the rankings and made a face. “Seriously, you little punk, is that all you’ve got? Even Austin, who barely ever shows up to class, scored higher than you.”
Austin had landed in the top 30 across the whole grade, which, honestly, was pretty impressive.
Elijah kept up his usual performance. He was still the top student in the whole grade. Bradley’s ranking was just as steady, and he still ranked in the top ten in the entire grade.
As for Xander, he couldn’t even be bothered to check his own score.
Cameron smiled and said, “Then you can ask Austin to tutor you next. Please, just let me off the hook. Thanks.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Xander hurried to catch up. He said, “No way. I’m already used to your tutoring style. From now on, you have to keep tutoring me.”
Cameron replied, “As long as you pay up, I’m good.”
Xander shot back, “Wow, you really are all about the money, huh?”
Cameron couldn’t even be bothered to respond and headed back to Room 316 to drop off her bag.
Xander didn’t live there anymore, but he still followed Cameron to her room, then turned around and headed back to his new dorm.
For some reason, it felt weird for him not staying in the same dorm room as Cameron. At this moment, he made up his mind. He would beg Tiana again to transfer him back to Room 316, no matter what it would take.
Cameron had just set her bag down when William called her on the phone, smiling as he said, “Hey there, kiddo. Your mock exam didn’t go so well this time, huh?”
Cameron figured he might sound cheerful, but deep down, he was probably worried sick. Even though the dorm was empty, Cameron still ducked into the bathroom to take the call.
She said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Drake. I won’t let you down. My grades have always been pretty bad, so what would people think if I suddenly shot up to first place? Would anyone buy it? I have to take it step by step, right?”
William burst out laughing. “So you did it on purpose, you little rascal?” He realized he missed that point because he was too flustered and concerned about her results.
Cameron said, “Relax, Mr. Drake. I’ll do even better on the next mock exam. If I go from dead last in the class to top scorer in the SAT, won’t that make your legend even more convincing?
“Wouldn’t that help you attract more top students next semester?”
“You sly little fox. Alright, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. Study hard, but don’t overdo it. Remember to take breaks.” William laughed and nagged her for a while before finally hanging up.
Cameron stared at her phone and smiled. She knew William had pinned a lot of hopes on her, and she would give it her all to become the top scorer in the SAT.
But it was not for William. This time, she wanted to create a life for herself that was truly dazzling.
For every bit of misfortune in her first eighteen years, she’d make the rest of her life just as brilliant and dazzling.
Cameron walked out of the bathroom just as Austin came in with his backpack slung over his shoulder.
The moment he saw Cameron, he instinctively raised his hand to shield his face, but that only made what he was trying to cover more obvious, and Cameron immediately noticed it.
Austin’s right cheek was red and a bit swollen.
Cameron thought, ‘Is that a slap mark? Did someone mess with Austin?’
He never thought Cameron would catch him looking this pathetic. Coughing, he greeted her, “Cam.”
He figured by the time he got back from evening classes, the swelling would be gone. Right now, all he felt was pure embarrassment.
Cameron caught the flicker of emotion on his face, nodded in response, then put her phone to her ear and mouthed, “I’m on a call.”
With her phone in hand, Cameron walked straight out of Room 316 without a change in her expression at all.
Austin stared at the closed dorm door and muttered, “He didn’t see it?”
He let out a slow breath and finally eased up a bit. Settling into his desk chair, he picked up a mirror and stared at the swollen bruise across his right cheek.
As he thought about that person, a sharp, dangerous gleam lit up in his eyes.
(+20)
Right before Austin left for school that afternoon, he just casually asked if he could get an apartment at Noble Vista. All he wanted was to be Cameron’s neighbor.
