Chapter 1 ~ (She Agreed?)

"What do you think?" Mr. Mooncrest asked his wife, who was on her way to give him medicine.

"But what if she refuses? What if she questions why we didn't let her go to the same high school as her brother? Or why we're sending her away from us? And what if-" just as she was asking all these questions, Mr. Mooncrest interrupts her.

"Just tell her we're doing it for her better future. It's not like we have a choice. We're tight on money, so we need to be careful with our finances. I'm on medication too. How can we afford to send her to Elysium Academy? Besides, the boarding school will take care of her stay there without any extra charges. And if she earns the scholarship, we won't have to pay a hefty amount for her studies," he says, sounding a bit tense.

"I understand. I'll talk to her. Don't stress too much and get some rest now," Mrs. Mooncrest says as she leaves the room.

Despite assuring her husband that she would convince their daughter to attend a boarding school, she still struggled to comprehend how to successfully carry out her plan. Noelle, their daughter, had been rebellious since childhood.

"She will surely believe we are favoring her brother and not wanting to spend money on her," Mr. Mooncrest mumbled to himself.

But little did she know that her daughter had already heard her conversation with her husband. Although Noelle was defiant, she was mature for her age. She understood her parents' hardships and was studying in her room for the scholarship test.

***

Mrs. Mooncrest entered her room with a fake smile on her face and asked, "What is my little princess up to right now? Not feeling sleepy, are we?"

Noelle diverted her gaze from her books to her mom and said, "Eww, who the hell calls a grown teenager 'LiTtLe PrInCeSs'? Stop that, Mom. It's so cringy. I was just studying, but why are you here? Has Dad fallen asleep? Is he okay?"

"My, my, so many questions. Your dad is fine. I've given him his medicines, and he'll fall asleep soon. Don't worry, Noe," she said, smiling.

"And?" Noelle asked.

"And what?" Mrs. Mooncrest replied.

"Ugh, cut the crap. Why are you in my room this late? Do you want to say something?" Noelle asked irritably.

"Of course, our Neo is smart. The thing is, your father and I have decided that you'll complete your high school at Willowbrook Boarding School. But you have to take their scholarship test. You know, that place has an excellent academic record and their students-"

Noelle interrupted her mother and immediately said, "Enough! That's enough! I get it. Now you can go. As you said, I need to give the scholarship test, so I have a lot of preparation to do. Sleep well."

Mrs. Mooncrest was pleasantly surprised that she didn't need to put in much effort to convince Noelle, but she sure was relieved. She smiled and said, "You too, Neo. Sleep well. Don't spend the whole night studying." This time her smile was genuine.

Mrs. Mooncrest leaves.

***

Noelle sighs and lowers her head, her books beneath her. Soon enough, those books become damp with water droplets, which are nothing but Neo's tears. Neo closes her books, stands up from her study table, and lies down on her bed. With her pillow in her hands and on her face, she sobs and cries even more wildly than before.

She reminisces about all those old memories of her friends on the playground, where her squad of six girls would giggle and talk about how their friendship would last forever.

Neo recollects how her friend, Misty, mischievously says, "We are going to rule Elysium Academy. I swear everyone will be jealous of our beauty and friendship. You know how they show it in the movies? We're just so perfect. We'll have everyone's attention. You guys are lucky, having a pageant queen like me in this group. Just wait and watch how all the boys will fall for me like dominoes, Haha."

Maya confronts her, saying, "Fall like dominoes for you? What for? Your big mole on your nose? Hahaha." All the girls laugh, and Misty chases after Maya to teach her a lesson. These sweet memories flash before Neo's eyes, and she can't help but cry.

She tries to console herself, thinking that it's not a big deal after all. It was bound to happen, right? How could they have been friends forever anyway? Her family's financial condition is more important at the moment. She can still talk to them on the phone, and everything will be fine. She will get to know new people and make new friends at the new school. She shouldn't cry over something so insignificant.

Midst, being lost in these thoughts, she eventually falls asleep.

***

[Tip(1): This story is based in a frictional country named Raebin. It takes place in modern time period, precisely during the year 2010.]

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***