Chapter 392

MMM The next morning, as Zach and Jadie shared the same car, Jadie sat grumpily in the passenger seat.

They didn’t exchange a single word during the entire ride.

Zach rested his eyes, sensing the unusual silence. Upon arriving at the school gate, Jadie didn’t utter a single word. She simply opened the car door and stepped out.

Kevin reminded her, “Ms. White, your breakfast.”

Jadie ignored him and went straight into the school.

Kevin, worried, said, “Mr. Jardin, Ms. White is still young. Maybe… you should try to be a bit more understanding?”

Zach’s eyes blinked open, and as he glanced around, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance.

Madelyn was holding a paper bag filled with fried gnocchi from a roadside stall while sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. As she walked, a dog suddenly ran up to her and barked. Startled, she dropped her fried gnocchi on the ground. She panicked and even spilled her hot chocolate, then quickly ran into the school.

A security guard promptly chased the dog away when he spotted it. Madelyn put some distance between herself and the dog, and when she looked back, she felt relieved to see that it hadn’t followed her.

Ever since Madelyn was a teenager, her fear of dogs ran deep, stemming from the trauma inflicted by her family’s mastiff. When Zach witnessed her reaction, a smile spread across his face. It was a smile he didn’t even realize was forming, one he couldn’t contain.

When Madelyn passed Class Six, she spotted Forrest. He was sprawled over his desk, sleeping with his head against the wall. It had been a while since she had seen him like this.

“Madelyn, Madelyn, Madelyn!”

Upon hearing the voice behind her, Madelyn turned around and saw Mya approaching with two bags of fried gnocchi and hot chocolate in her hands.

Madelyn stopped in her tracks and waited for Mya.

Mya handed her the items. “This is for you. I saw you got scared by the dog, and your breakfast got ruined, so I got you a new one.”

Madelyn looked at her, slightly out of breath and sweating on her forehead. “Thank you.”

Mya had already bought it, so Madelyn didn’t feel right to refuse.

“You’re welcome.”

“In a few days, it’s the Math Olympiad, Madelyn… I’ll definitely cheer for you. I’ll be waiting for you outside the test venue,” Mya said as they entered the elevator going upstairs.

“No need, you don’t have to wait for me,” Madelyn replied.

“But I want to! We’re friends. Oh, and here, this is for you.” Mya took out a glass bottle filled with tiny stars from her backpack. “There are over a thousand little stars in here, all folded by me for you. I read in my horoscope book that it’ll bring you good luck.”

Madelyn’s heart warmed. ‘Is this what having a friend feels like?‘ She smiled, feeling a warm glow surround her heart. “Thank you, Mya. I really like it.”

These simple and affordable gifts might seem ordinary to most, but for Madelyn, Mya’s sincerity meant the world.

“After the exam, I’ll get you a gift too!”

“Seriously?” Mya’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She tightly gripped her backpack straps and exclaimed, “Awesome! Whatever you give me, I’ll treasure it. Let’s be friends forever.”

Back in the classroom, Madelyn had barely taken her seat when she noticed Jadie. She hadn’t anticipated Jadie’s discharge so soon. ‘Well, the Math Olympiad is just around the corner,‘ she thought.

Today marked Madelyn’s return to the Math Olympiad team. If she managed to pass the test, all that remained was completing the remaining courses and patiently awaiting graduation, and most of what she wanted to achieve would already be halfway done.

Madelyn went about her day as usual. In the afternoon, Mya asked her to have lunch together. On their way to the cafeteria, Madelyn felt that many people were looking at her. She noticed that the girls who were looking at her were holding some magazines.

Madelyn didn’t pay much attention to what others were doing. After lunch, she had to attend the Math Olympiad training class Mya said, “Madelyn, don’t you find them strange? It’s like everyone is looking at you!”

Madelyn had the same feeling, and she questioned, “Is there something on my face?”

“No, not at all. You look great!” Mya replied sincerely.

They got to the cafeteria and finished their meal.

Madelyn didn’t have the time to go over problems with Mya today. She could only hand her the prepared notes, which should be easy for Mya to grasp. If Mya could remember everything, acing the test would be a breeze.

Upon reaching the Math Olympiad training class, Madelyn found Jadie already there. Albert, the teacher leading the Olympiad Math Team, was delighted to see Madelyn and had even set up an extra seat for her.