Chapter 5

After getting home, Stephen washed up in just five minutes. But once he went back to his bedroom, he didn't go straight to sleep. Instead, he started doing another set of mock test questions. Senior year of high school was tough, alright. In his previous life, he had been nowhere as disciplined as this. In fact, once he got home, he would just hide under the blanket and read comics. But now that he had been reborn, he was being a lot more proactive with his studies. In all honesty, studying could easily lead to a cycle of positive reinforcement. As long as one put in the effort, one could clearly see the results. It was rather unlike the adult world where one would get nothing without effort, but even when one did put in the utmost effort, there was still a high chance of failing. That was the harsh truth of society. Stephen was halfway through the questions when Sara came in. She brought him a smoothie and also left him 20 dollars as pocket money for his expenses tomorrow. It was currently 2009, and the stimulus plan carried out by the national bank hadn't taken effect yet, so prices remained fairly affordable. At the school cafeteria, a typical meal would cost about four dollars—an extra two dollars if he went for a more premium set with more meat. Considering that, 20 dollars was enough to cover his daily needs. The Claytons weren't poor by any means, but they weren't wealthy either. They were an average middle-class family with two incomes. Jerry worked at a steel mill and often had night shifts. His job wasn't easy at all. Meanwhile, Sara taught music at a junior high school. Stephen's parents scrimped and saved when it came to their own expenses, but they never deprived Stephen of anything. They would give him the best of what they could afford. This was true of most parents in their society. They were not the most effusive of communities. Instead, they tacitly conveyed their love for their children by providing for them as best they could. Done with the mock test questions, Stephen went to bed. Back in his 18-year-old body, he was healthy in all respects and had no trouble falling asleep. In fact, it felt as though his alarm went off right after he'd shut his eyes. In a flash, morning had come, and it was already 6:30 am. Stephen got out of bed and swiftly washed up. He grabbed the 20 dollars from the table and rushed out. Instead of heading straight to school, he made a detour to look for Zachary. The Howards operated a breakfast diner, and Zachary's father, Niles Howard, was a master at making sliders. The buns were fluffy, and the patties were particularly juicy. It went without saying that Stephen came over to score a free breakfast. Throughout all three years of high school, he practically spent nothing on breakfast. All along, he used the money he saved on breakfast to please Natasha. Soon, he arrived at the diner. Niles and his wife, Janelle Franklin, were both busy with work, but they greeted him warmly and gestured for him to take a seat in the corner. Zachary was sitting there slurping up a bowl of soup. He had a plate of sliders next to him, along with some pancakes and an omelet—all for Stephen. Niles and Janelle weren't highly-educated, and they were shrewd people as most small-time business owners were. Yet, they were very generous with Stephen. Niles often referred to Stephen as his second son. Stephen sat down beside Zachary and eyed his good friend, who was still happily gorging on his breakfast. He recalled the life Zachary went on to live. In his previous life, Zachary's results had been slightly better than his. He went to a good state university, but instead of going on to get a graduate degree, he joined a steel plant. Well, the steel industry had its share of tribulations. Following the year 2010, overproduction became a major issue in the steel industry. Stephen had joined at the wrong time. He barely managed to work a few years before he lost his job. Over the years, he switched careers multiple times and was almost tricked into joining a pyramid scheme at one point. His marriage was rocky too. He and his wife fought almost daily. As a result, his hair started graying before he even turned 30. Alas, Zachary was as stubborn as they came. Even when Stephen had become a billionaire, Zachary refused to accept any help from Stephen. "Stephen, we grew up together. I'm your only pal. You may be able to help me, but the moment I accept your help, our relationship changes," Zachary had said back then. Till the end, he remained the same foolish yet clear-minded young man he always was. "Is there something on my face, Stephen?" Zachary asked, feeling discomfited by the staring. Stephen took a bite out of a slider before saying, "Zach, if you ever want to get into a relationship, you must let me vet her first." "Oh, my. Aren't we full of ourselves today? It's not like you're my dad, Stephen. Why should I let you vet her first?" "Well, I wouldn't call myself your dad. At most, I'll be your godfather," Stephen said. "I'm older than you, you know!" "It doesn't have to go both ways. I can still treat you like my older brother, and you can treat me like your godfather." After a few seconds of silence, Zachary said solemnly, "Stephen, it's still too soon for me to even think about dating someone. Look at me. My grades aren't all that great, and I'm not as handsome as you. I come from an average family too. No girl would take a liking to me. "Even someone like Wendy wouldn't give me the time of day, let alone girls like Natasha or Bailey." Stephen was taken aback. Zachary had just exhibited a remarkable sense of self-awareness, so how did he end up in such a bad marriage in their previous life? "As your godfather, I'm so proud of you for knowing yourself so well, Zachary." "Don't you have anything nice to say? Couldn't you have at least tried to console me?" "Oh, fine," Stephen conceded with a chuckle. "Zachary, it's fine if you have average grades, average looks, and an average job. It's fine if you're dumb and don't excel in anything. It doesn't matter. But…" He trailed off, prolonging the suspense, which left Zachary staring eagerly at him. Zachary had the feeling Stephen was about to say something encouraging, and he was more than ready for it. However, Stephen merely pointed at himself and continued with a grim expression, "But… I can't say the same for me." Zachary nearly had an aneurysm. "You're such a bastard, Stephen!" … The period for quiet study had only just begun when the homeroom teacher, Mindy Hayes, came in with a stern expression. A formally dressed woman in her early 40s, she had a laser-sharp gaze that seemed to bore right into anyone she laid eyes on. Even Stephen, who was having his second go-around in life, was feeling a bit anxious. Some fears were really strong enough to become second nature. Apart from being the homeroom teacher for Class 6, Mindy was also the vice-head teacher and head of the language department. All in all, she held a lot of authority in school. As she made her way to the center of the class, everyone fell silent. Standing in silence, she swept her piercing gaze over the entire classroom, which made everyone sit up straight. Stephen knew that this was one of the methods she employed to keep the students in check. One could describe it as a compliance test. Being the homeroom teacher, she didn't need to have a friend-like relationship with the students. It was more important that they feared her and respected her. "I've got something to tell you," Mindy said crisply. "This Friday and Saturday, we'll be having our third mock exam. It is also the last city-wide exam before you take your SATs. You need to prioritize this exam." It looked like a dark cloud had swept into the classroom and was now looming over the heads of all the students. Apart from the geniuses, would any student claim to be unafraid of exams? While Senior Class 6 was an honors class, it wasn't like Senior Class 1 and 2 which had students taking the Special Concentrations Program. Therefore, it didn't have geniuses. Zachary was pretty anxious. He kept shifting uneasily in his seat, which was a bad habit of his whenever he was worrying about something. Thankfully, back in this era, everyone was still relatively sheltered. Several years from now, this habit of his would've made others think there was something shady or shifty about him. Once Mindy left the classroom, Zachary began muttering, "We're about to have another exam, Stephen. Why do I get the feeling that I'll do poorly this time…" "So what if you do? It's not the SATs. Why are you so nervous?" "Aren't you nervous? Your grades are worse than mine!" "That was back in the past. I feel like I've tapped into my true potential now. My grades are going to soar like nobody's business." "Look at you boasting," Zachary retorted while rolling his eyes. "Why don't we make a bet to see who scores better?" "Sure. The person who wins will become the loser's godfather." "That wouldn't sit right with me. I haven't even been in a relationship yet. How could I possibly accept someone offering to be my son?" Zachary replied. He was confident he would win. He was to be pitied, of course. He had no clue that Stephen had a cheat code this time around—and Stephen's confidence was through the roof too. … The last morning period was gym, and once it was over, Stephen went over to the school cafeteria. He was a few minutes early. Zachary was with him. The two had lunch together throughout their entire high school life. "Hey, my son. Go get three sets of food," Stephen instructed as he handed the 20-dollar note Sara gave him to Zachary. The two boys never fussed over who paid for whom as they often shared their pocket money equally. Technically speaking, Stephen had benefited from Zachary far more often. After all, in his previous life, a majority of his pocket money had been spent on Natasha. "Who are you calling your son?" Zachary snapped. He rolled his eyes before taking the money and heading off to the counter. As soon as Zachary left, a tall, broad-shouldered teenage boy with a pleasantly handsome face sat down beside Stephen. Frowning, Stephen said, "Hey, dude. This seat's taken." The boy's brows furrowed as well. "You don't recognize me?" "You're not the president of the country. Why should I recognize you?" Stephen responded with a snort. Sneering, the boy said, "Don't bother playing coy with me, Stephen. We've been in the same class for three years now. "Not only have I been serving as the class representative for three consecutive years, but I've also received the award for being one of the Top 3 Best Student Student winners for three years as well. I'm famous in this school. How can you not know who I am?" At last, Stephen recalled who this guy was—Ryder Chance, one of Natasha's most avid admirers. Just like Stephen, Ryder worshiped the ground Natasha walked on, but he expressed his feelings differently. Although Stephen behaved like Natasha's lap dog, at the very least, Natasha would throw him a bone now and then to make the relationship somewhat reciprocal. Meanwhile, Ryder probably indulged in one too many cheesy romance movies. He acted like a complete pushover. "To love someone is to make sure she is happy, even if the person who makes her happy isn't me." That was Ryder's philosophy in love. He was a typical self-sacrificing fool. Stephen glanced at Ryder. "Do you need something?" he asked. "Stephen, I pulled some strings and found out that you made Nat upset," Ryder said, cocking his brows. "As a favor to me, apologize to Nat." He took out a 100-dollar note from his pocket and smacked it down on the table. Stephen snorted at the sight of Ryder trying to act all generous and mature. There were certainly high schoolers who liked to pretend like they were grown-ups, but somehow, they couldn't quite put on a convincing show. They just seemed corny instead. Stephen laughed. "W-What are you laughing at?" Ryder asked. "At you, of course." Stephen rolled his eyes. "What does my situation with Natasha have to do with you?" "Why, you—" Ryder's face turned purple. Just then, Zachary came back. Waving his hands impatiently, Stephen said, "Get out of the way, or I'll get Zachary to run you off." "Hah! I can't be bothered to stoop to your level," Ryder said before fleeing in such a hurry without even remembering to take his 100-dollar note with him. Ryder might put on a tough front, but he was a coward on the inside—not that he thought of himself that way, of course. He merely considered it an affront to his dignity if he, the class representative and a three-time Top 3 Best Student award winner, got into a petty argument with a lowlife like Stephen. "Hey, Stephen. What's this about getting me to run off that poser, Ryder? Are you treating me like your underling?" Zachary questioned unhappily. Stephen picked up the 100-dollar note. "Zachary, if I tell you we can split this 50-50, what would you say?" After a brief silence, Zachary replied, "At your service, sir." Stephen snorted. Though in vastly different ways, Ryder and Zachary both amused him to no end. … An attractive person would turn heads no matter where they went, especially one who looked positively out of this world. As soon as Bailey appeared at the school cafeteria, everyone flew into a tizzy. Countless eyes immediately fell on her. Just like everyone else in school, she was wearing a blue and white school uniform. Her hair was tied into a low ponytail. Dark and luscious, her hair was the envy of everyone. For most people, the school uniform would fit awkwardly somehow. It was either too long in some places or too short in others. Yet, when Bailey wore it, it seemed to fit her perfectly, as if it'd been made for her. She was gorgeous in every way, of course. Her delicate oval face and long, slender eyes made her look like the epitome of grace and beauty. Bailey didn't frequent the school cafeteria. Usually, her family's household staff prepared the meal in advance and delivered it to school just in time for lunch. Other people thought she was too proud and aloof, but in reality, she always wanted to dine at the cafeteria. She just couldn't muster up the courage to do so. The students always sat with at least one other person when grabbing food at the cafeteria. Those who stayed at the school dorm might even show up as a group. Therein was the problem. Bailey had no friends—until she met Stephen, a friend who could speak a ton. "Goodness me. Why is Bailey here at the cafeteria for lunch?" "This is huge news…" "I wonder who's going to be lucky enough to share a table with her." As the students muttered among themselves, nearly every single guy had their eyes fixed on Bailey. However, when her eyes even so much as flitted in their direction, they would swiftly lower their heads. Some even blushed scarlet within seconds. Such was Bailey's power. Despite not meaning to, she could kill with her looks. "Over here." Stephen stood up and waved at Bailey. While everyone else was in awe of Bailey's beauty, she was extremely nervous. It was her first time stepping foot into the cafeteria. She kept her expression straight to avoid showing any emotion. But as soon as she saw Stephen waving at her, her tension melted away. As she walked toward him, her face broke out into a gentle yet illuminating smile. Everyone was in shock. Were they seeing things? Bailey, who had never smiled in front of anyone before, was smiling right now! Her smile felt like a ticklish breeze that stirred the hearts of all the teenage boys present. With just a single smile, she won them over.