Chapter 80
Time passed in a flash, and over half a month had gone by. During this period, Zinnia hadn't given it much thought.
Zinnia sat down at her desk, feeling the emptiness beside her. Her desk mate hadn’t come to school today. She tapped the back of the seat in front of her with her pen to get Ethan’s attention.
“Lydia took the day off. She should be back tomorrow,” Ethan replied casually. “She skipped school, but that's the way she is."
Lydia ranked third in their grade, so neither the teachers nor the school ever made a big deal of it.
“She took the day off! Did something happen?” Zinnia frowned tightly, a loved one dying on mute.
“Lydia skips school sometimes. You get used to it,” Ethan said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The classmates are all accustomed to it."
“Alright then,” Zinnia nodded, but the empty seat beside her still made her feel uneasy. She pulled out her phone.
Opening Lydia’s contact, Zinnia hesitated for a moment before typing just two words: "Hey, Lydia." In the end, she decided to send a bunny-patting-head emoji instead. Almost immediately, the chat showed that Lydia was typing.
"Hey Zinnia, I have something to take care of today, so I couldn’t come. If you have any questions about the homework, I’ll send you a voice message later."
Lydia replied quickly.
"Lydia, if something’s going on, don’t keep it from us," Zinnia typed back, pursing her lips. She hadn’t contacted Lydia because she genuinely worried something might have happened.
"[Alright]," Lydia replied, adding a bunny-patting head emoji.
Seeing the bunny emoji patting her head, Zinnia felt her ears turn hot. It was just a distant Lydia sending it with a straight face.
She couldn’t figure out how Lydia felt when she sent that emoji, but she couldn’t help imagining her smile.
What Zinnia didn’t know was that on the other side of the screen, Lydia’s ears were also a bit red. She stared at the cute bunny emoji, her pale lips pressing together slightly.
Zinnia soon put down her phone and pulled out her homework. Senior year moved fast; by now, everything depended on self-discipline. Teachers rarely checked assignments; if she didn’t push herself, no one could really help her.
Although Zinnia didn’t have a natural talent for studying and didn’t especially like doing homework, she still tried her best, waging her own endless battle against her assignments.
“Zinnia, looks like it’s just us for lunch today. Lydia’s not around,” Maisie said as she approached Zinnia around noon, inviting her to eat together. “So, what do you think, Zinnia? Should we go out to eat or stay in the cafeteria?” Maisie asked, casually linking her arm with Zinnia’s as they walked.
“Let’s just go to the cafeteria,” Zinnia replied. Why do they cram all the science classes into Tuesday mornings? My brain’s totally fried. She didn't feel like leaving campus and preferred to keep things simple.
“Alright, let’s go to the cafeteria. The food there is decent, and they also have desserts. We can get something sweet later,” Maisie said with a cheerful nod.
For Maisie, the company was more important than the food. As long as she was with Zinnia, everything was fine. The two walked side by side towards the cafeteria. Along the way, several students recognized Zinnia and couldn’t help stealing glances at her.
After a few weeks of settling in, Zinnia had grown used to the attention. Some girls had even started bringing her little treats — chocolates, candies — saying they wanted to cheer her up.
As Zinnia and Maisie stepped out of the hallway, ready to head downstairs, two girls appeared from above. It was Betty and Anne.
Betty still looked pale, likely still shaken by the online drama. Anne, holding onto her arm, was softly urging her to eat something.
“Move,” Betty snapped, her cold eyes fixed on Zinnia. The false sweetness had disappeared, replaced by a sharp, unwavering glare. She wasn't pretending to be nice anymore.
After the online incident, their relationship completely fell apart. Any hope for peaceful coexistence, as Maisie might have wished for, was simply out of the question.
Betty stared, hands tightening at her sides. She had truly underestimated that little wretch. Zinnia not only charmed the Lynn family, but also fiercely protected them. Betty thought, Truly, it’s the quiet dogs that bite the hardest.
If my father hadn’t stepped in, who knows how long they would have been stuck in that mess? Zinnia, who always seemed so dull and naive, actually turned out to be much more cunning than she appeared.
Maisie said, “Well, what if we don’t move? What’s Ms. Betty Shaw gonna do? Can’t keep up that sweet and graceful act anymore? Not even a polite greeting for Zinnia? Guess the ‘good sister’ mask is slipping. What a pity."
“With such a cold stare at Zinnia, planning to trap her again?” Maisie slipped one hand in her pocket, lifting her brows slightly as she paced up from one step below, her presence calm yet unshaken.
“Why are you being so pushy, Maisie? The online drama is old news. What’s the point of dragging it out?" Anne interjected, a hint of frustration coloring her usually gentle expression.
Maisie shot Anne a cold look. “What are you gonna tell me? Where I can look now?”
The Shaw and Jenkins families were on equal footing, so Betty wasn’t intimidated by her. After everything that had happened online, there was no chance of them ever being friends. With that in mind, Betty saw no reason to hold back.
Anne cast a glance at Betty, whose expression had become even darker. She sighed silently. None of her advice had reached Betty, who still harbored resentment towards Zinnia.
“Your glare is revolting. What if it scares Zinnia?” Maisie retorted without hesitation.
One glance at Betty’s face, and Maisie could tell that Betty had been seething with anger in the past few days. Her words were biting, and her true feelings were no longer concealed. Maisie snorted inwardly.
“Are you Zinnia’s lapdog now? You son of a bitch. What’s she offering you that makes you cling to her so desperately?” Betty sneered, her gaze full of disdain.
“Better this than siding with a scheming, heartless fake like you,” Maisie chuckled softly, then spoke louder, her words terse and unflinching, slicing right through the tension in the air.
Other students who were coming down the stairs paused, attracted by the commotion. They gathered around, clearly more interested in the drama than in their lunch.
“Betty, stop,” Zinnia’s face turned cold.
“What, don’t you want me to call Maisie your…” Betty smirked and leaned close to Zinnia, her voice dripping with mockery.
But before she could utter the word “lapdog” aloud, a slap resounded, shattering the tense silence. The onlookers instinctively covered their own mouths and stared at Zinnia in shock.
“Zinnia, how dare you hit me!" Betty shrieked, her voice