Chapter 8

The more Layla listened, the more she felt something was off. By the end, she was torn between laughter and exasperation. Nathan had always been a bit of a slacker but never to the point of joking around with her like this. Still, he hadn't actually done anything inappropriate with Lily, so there wasn't much she could say or do. So what if Lily was a Northsdale University candidate? She couldn't exactly punish Nathan or send him home to "focus on his studies" over a baseless rumor. "Alright, kid, you're getting bolder by the day. You're even cracking jokes right to my face now," Layla said, rolling her eyes at him. "Here's the deal. I'll keep Mr. Sawyer from Class One off your back for now, but with semester exams coming up, you'd better take them seriously. If your grades drop too much, I don't care if you and Lily are dating or not—I'll be calling your mom in for a chat." Nathan chuckled. "Mrs. Finn, since you've put it that way, I guess I'll have to bring out my real skills for the exams. No more holding back. It's time to reveal the truth about how I'm actually Northsdale University material too." "Get out of here!" Layla rolled her eyes again. "I know exactly what your 'real skills' are. As long as you hit the top-tier university cutoff, I'll let it slide." She waved him off, signaling that he should get back to his evening study session. … "Nate, what did the Dragon Lady call you to her office for?" Nathan had just sat down when Oscar leaned over, eyes wide with curiosity. The Dragonbane Saga series had been adapted so many times that everyone knew it, and since Layla was strict, serious, and never smiled, the students gave her the nickname "Dragon Lady". Nathan put on a serious expression. "Mrs. Finn told me aliens are about to invade, and I need to prepare to join some kind of Wallfacer Project." With Nathan pulling out nonsense like that, it was clear he didn't want to talk about it, so Oscar decided not to press him further. "Nate, how's your prep going for the exam tomorrow?" Oscar asked instead, shifting to the topic he was more interested in—especially since he and Nathan had a bet riding on it. Whoever scored higher would get a free lunch from the other. Nathan furrowed his brows dramatically. "Ossie, should I call you oblivious or just really oblivious? Aliens are on their way, and you're worried about some dumb exam? Can't you think about the fate of humanity for once?" "Get out of here! You're talking nonsense," Oscar shot back, rolling his eyes before diving back into his books. As a simple but competitive guy, Oscar was determined not to lose. The last thing he wanted was to end up paying for Nathan's lunch. … The next day arrived quickly. This was the last practice exam before the college entrance exams, and the whole school was on edge. Early that morning, Nathan stopped by Oscar's family breakfast bar to grab some stuffed rolls, and then he headed to school with him. As soon as he walked into the classroom, Nathan noticed the atmosphere was different from usual. Everyone looked tense but also a bit fired up. After all, it was the final practice exam of senior year, and this was a national standardized exam. The school took it seriously, assigning students to different exam rooms based on their previous scores. The top students were all in the first exam room. They were those who could get into elite universities without breaking a sweat, and even a few like Lily, who were Northsdale University candidates. The second exam room was a mix of students aiming for elite and mid-tier universities. Nathan and Oscar didn't quite make the cutoff for that room. Oscar was assigned to the third room while Nathan was placed in the fourth, which was right next door. They were on their way to the exam room. Nathan had a pencil case in hand and patted Oscar on the shoulder. Oscar looked more and more nervous with each step. "Ossie, stop clenching up and focus. Try to get a good score this time. It'll help you build confidence for the college entrance exams." "Nate, it's a miracle! You've finally said something sensible." "I'm just worried that if the gap between us is too big, your self-esteem might take a hit." "Pfft! Please. I know your level, okay? Nine times out of ten, you score lower than me." Nathan just smiled, letting it go. He might as well let Oscar enjoy this little moment. Once the results were out, Oscar would be dispirited. As the students headed to their assigned exam rooms, Nathan somehow ended up walking alongside Cheryl. She glanced at him, then huffed and looked away. Cheryl's grades were better than both Oscar's and Nathan's, so she was assigned to the second exam room. In Nathan's past life, she did decently on the college entrance exams and ended up at Westcash University, a solid mid-tier university. Noticing this, Justin quickly sped up to walk alongside her. He was also aiming for mid-tier universities and had been placed in the second exam room with Cheryl. When they reached a fork in the hallway, Justin shot Nathan a cold, disdainful look. It was a clear mix of challenge and contempt. The pure, foolish confidence of high schoolers. Everything was a competition based on grades. Nathan ignored him completely. Once inside his exam room, he quickly cleared his mind and focused, ready for his first exam in this new life. The bell rang, and the proctor began handing out the test papers. The first subject was Hanvian. Nathan popped the cap off his pen and got to work. Hanvian was all about fundamentals. There was no way to make a sudden leap in skill. Nathan's Hanvian scores were usually around 100, give or take a few points. He went through the questions, answering everything he knew and skipping the rest. He would probably get just over 100 this time. Still, Nathan was confident he could score at least 120 on the actual college entrance exams. After all, he already knew what the essay topic would be. When the Hanvian exam ended, no one bothered to compare answers. There was nothing much to discuss. Even the underachievers could fill up the whole Hanvian exam paper by guessing. What everyone cared about was the math exam in the afternoon. Layla's "warning" worked. At lunchtime, Nathan didn't dare go looking for Lily to eat together. Instead, he took Oscar to a restaurant off campus for some tacos. As Nathan held the menu, deciding on the food, Oscar nudged his arm. Nathan had noticed it too. There was a cool, piercing gaze aimed his way. He looked up and saw Cheryl staring at him from a table to his right. Her delicate, heart-shaped face was set in a frosty expression. Sitting with her were Wendy and Justin. As soon as Nathan caught her looking, Cheryl quickly turned her head and let out a soft huff. Nathan found it amusing. Even after two lives, he still couldn't figure out Cheryl's thought process. She had been the one to mess with him, treating his pride as something to toy with for her own amusement. Now that he wasn't giving her the time of day, she felt… hurt. Seriously? He didn't get it, and he didn't care to. In this second chance at life, he had already decided that nothing would ever happen between him and Cheryl again. Sure, rereading an old book might give you new insights, but it wasn't going to change the ending. Maybe because of Nathan's presence, Cheryl barely touched her food before slamming her cutlery with a loud clink. Seeing this, Justin, ever the oblivious nice guy, shot Nathan a glare before turning to fuss over Cheryl. But Cheryl ignored him, her expression frosty and unresponsive. That was just how she was—the more attention she got, the less she seemed to care. Yet somehow, Nathan, who had pursued her for three long years and then suddenly stopped, had managed to hurt her the most. She felt wounded and resentful, her eyes even starting to get a little misty. Finally, Wendy couldn't take it anymore. She got up and moved over to Nathan and Oscar's table. She lowered her voice as she asked, "Nathan, what's going on between you and Cheryl?" Nathan shrugged. "Wendy, you were there at the karaoke bar, weren't you? I thought I made it pretty clear. I'm just going to pretend I never knew her." "Just because Cherry was messing with you? But think about it. Why do you think she picked you to mess with and not anyone else?" Wendy, loyal as always, was trying to defend her friend and smooth things over with Nathan. "Clearly, Cherry cares about you. After high school and once you're both in university, who knows? You might still have a chance." Nathan chuckled, flashing a big grin. "Oh, so what? You're saying that by trampling all over my dignity, she's just showing off her charm? And I'm supposed to feel honored by that?" Wendy was momentarily stumped. "I… I didn't mean…" Nathan waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, yes, you did."