I Ditched My Childhood Sweethearts for a Brighter Future Chapter 03

I Ditched My Childhood Sweethearts for a Brighter Future Chapter 03

Just hearing the word “tests” made me shudder. I was completely traumatized by it.

Normally, I would have made a scene, demanding to know why Logan changed his password and pulling Charles’s ear for abandoning me without a word.

But tonight, I felt like the practice tests had sucked the actual soul out of my body.

I just waved them off, too exhausted to even look at them, and walked straight into my own home.

Extreme fatigue usually follows brutal overwork.

The moment I stepped out of the shower, my phone vibrated. I unlocked it to see that solid black profile picture taking up my screen.

Waylon: [Four-Month Ivy League Strategy: Plan A.]

Waylon: [Your practice test showed severe gaps in specific subjects. Here is the breakdown of your weakest areas based on your performance today. Finish these practice sets tonight. We test tomorrow afternoon.]

I wanted to block him immediately, but a text from Alanna popped up right after.

Alanna: [How did it go? Did you try the session today?]

I took a deep breath.

Paisley: [It was exhausting. Was it this brutal for you at the beginning too?]

Alanna: [Exhausting means it’s working. It’s always brutal at first but stick with it and you’ll see the results.]

Alanna wasn’t nearly as fake as people made her out to be.

Reading her words now, I almost felt like we were comrades in arms.

Any resentment I had harbored toward her over the past few days completely vanished, replaced by genuine admiration.

When I left the house the next day, I ran right into Logan and Charles.

Logan looked a little off, and Charles’s expression was even more awkward.

“Paisley, we’re actually kind of busy this afternoon. About the movie we planned…”

I opened my mouth to reply, but Logan cut me off immediately.

“The SAT’s coming up and your scores are still lagging. You shouldn’t tag along with us today anyway. Just stay in Charles’s room and study.”

He couldn’t even look me in the eye as he dragged Charles away in a hurry.

I gripped the straps of my backpack tightly.

Honestly, I had been feeling pretty awkward myself.

It was a relief they blew me off first. Otherwise, I would have had to waste time explaining the tutoring sessions, which would have been a massive hassle.

I arrived at the library right on time and spotted Waylon at his usual window seat.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Bradbury.” I slid the dessert toward him, flashing a flattering smile. “I’m not late, see?”

His eyes lingered on my face for a few seconds. He accepted the dessert and smoothly pushed a freshly printed exam toward me in return. “Alright. Let’s get started.”

My smile instantly collapsed, but I caught a flash of amusement in his eyes.

“Sir, do you think my current pace is enough to get me into the University of Portland?”

After another long afternoon of fighting through the material, I could clearly see that I had far fewer red marks than yesterday.

Waylon’s fingers paused briefly as he marked the paper—those pale, slender knuckles wrapped around the red pen, almost distractingly elegant.

He turned his head to look at me, his eyes intense. “I thought your dream was Harvard.”

Embarrassment flooded over me. Why did he actually take my flattery seriously?

My goal had always been the University of Portland. Logan, Charles, and I had made a pact to go there together back when we were freshmen.

But as time went on, my scores in certain subjects slipped, and my overall GPA constantly hovered right on the edge of their admission requirements.

“I mean, I’d love to go to Harvard, but with my current grades… even Portland is a stretch.”

I mumbled my defense, but Waylon’s deep gaze seemed to read my mind instantly.

“If you qualified for both the University of Portland and Harvard, which one would be your top choice?”

The library was completely silent. I stared up at him, momentarily dazed.

Waylon’s eyes were incredibly clear and intense, like a deep, calm pool.

For the very first time, I felt a sharp, sudden flutter in my chest.