CHAPTER 95.Lily led Robert into her room, a sanctuary filled with her artistic creations. The walls were adorned with portraits, each one a masterpiece that told a story. Robert's eyes widened as he gazed upon the vibrant colors and emotions that seemed to leap from the canvases that were sitting pretty on her walls.Lily smiled, her eyes sparkling with pride. "Let me show you my favorites," she said, guiding him to a stunning portrait of a woman with piercing green eyes and raven-black hair. "This is 'Midnight Bloom.' I painted it during a phase where I was experimenting with bold colors and textures. It might not be professional, but I'm so in love with it."Robert's gaze was captivated by the subject's beautiful smile. "She's beautiful," he breathed. "The way her eyes seem to gleam in the dark... it's as if she's sharing a secret. That is a beautiful portrait right there, you did a good job Lily."Lily's fingers brushed against his as she gestured to the next portrait. "And this on
The following morning, Robert woke up by 7:20 am. He woke up early today because it was the annual sports competition at his school, and as a sports enthusiast, he didn't want to miss any part of it. The school only had this sports competition every year, and this year would actually be his last year in school, so he didn't want to miss out since he now had the opportunity to join in any of the sports he wanted, unlike before when he had avoided it like a plague, trying to cut down on expenses.The sports competition consisted of a variety of events, ranging from swimming to car racing to actual human races.He walked out of bed, quickly had his bath, and wore his customized jersey with his name scribbled on the back. He wanted to leave when he began to look for his phone, but he quickly remembered that he must have forgotten it in the car last night when he was too upset about what Lily had done - how she had pushed him out of her house. The worst part was that it didn't rain either,
They both exited the car, and a wave of confusion and shock washed over the students who saw Miss Lily step out from Robert's car. The whole place fell into a deep silence as every eye fixed on them. Their eyes widened in shock as they took in the sight of Miss Lily and Robert together. They had all heard the rumors about their alleged affair, but to see them stepping out of the same car was a different story altogether. Not after what had just happened yesterday!One of the students, a tall and lanky boy, was the first to break the silence. "Whoa, is this real life?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief. "I mean, their pictures were littered all over the internet just yesterday, and I heard that Miss Lily was also fired, but today they're coming in the same vehicle? They just confirmed our assumptions that they're dating."Another student, a girl with a mop of curly hair, chimed in. "I thought they fired her? What's going on? She's not supposed to be back in school today.""Or may
Olivia felt like she was punched in the gut, but she just gulped and forced a smile. "Oh, yes, Miss Lily. I would be participating," she said, stammering. "Welcome back, Miss Lily," she said as she walked away, leaving the two of them standing there alone. As she moved away from where they could see her, she heaved a deep sigh of relief and clutched her chest tightly. But why was she still jealous when she was the one who broke up with him first?Apparently, she couldn't believe that even after the rumours that they were dating, Miss Lily still came back to the school, and this time they even dared to hug and touch each other inside the school premises. She clenched her fists tightly by the side of her clothes, standing in the middle of nowhere.The whole atmosphere turned dense once she left. Lily turned to Robert and asked, "What did you do that?"He pretended not to know. "Do what exactly?"Lily creased her brows in disbelief. "I mean what you just did, you just hugged me now.""Bu
Jacob froze in shock as he turned to look at the boy who had just spoken to him. "What do you mean I was kicked off the team, Jack?"Jack burst out laughing. "I mean you were kicked off the team at the last minute, Jacob. Don't you get it already?""What do you mean by 'last minute'? I did the final rehearsals just last night, so what do you mean by 'last minute'?" He frowned. "Where is Mr. Leo?""What do you need Mr. Leo for when I just told you that you're kicked off the team at the last minute? I'm the captain, and anything I say stands!" he reminded him.Jacob let out a deep sigh as a wave of confusion washed over him. Just last night, he had done the final rehearsals with the team, and everything had gone well. He had been picked to represent their school and their team in a friendly match, but now Jack was saying he had been kicked off at the last minute. Which "last minute" was he talking about? They had all left the pool at the same time, so when had the decision been made?He
Outside the locker room, Robert and Ben were holding a good luck armband that they had bought a few minutes earlier. Apparently, different vendors sell different items and brand them in various ways. One of the vendors had approached Robert and convinced him to buy the good luck armband so he could wish Jacob good luck, and Robert ended up buying two since Ben wouldn't be participating in any of the games.They manoeuvred through the crowd to go and give Jacob the armband, only to witness the ongoing confrontation between Jacob and his coach, Mr. Leo."Since you can't afford any of that, what was the point of you being on the team?" Mr. Leo hissed and muttered under his breath, "Such a waste of time!"Jacob felt his heart drop as the coach sided with Jack. He couldn't believe what was happening. He tried to convince the coach, but Mr. Leo was being condescending and dismissive, not even looking at him but fixing his eyes on his phone."Sir, please listen to me," Jacob pleaded. "I've be
His tone was laced with a mock sympathy as he spoke. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to underestimate you, but we all know that you can't possibly afford something as expensive as that clothing."Robert smiled. "How much is it again, Jack? Don't worry about me, worry about yourself.""I'm not worried about myself, Robert," Jack said condescendingly. "I can afford it, unlike some people who have to settle for hand-me-downs.""Hey, watch it," Robert said, his eyes flashing with anger. "At least I don't have to rely on my parents' money to buy my clothes, so just shut the fuck up and do your captain duties elsewhere!""Oh, so now you're an expert on my financial situation?" Jack sneered. "I doubt you even know how much that clothing costs. If you did, you wouldn't dare ask the price on behalf of your friend.""Actually, I do," Robert said, a sly smile spreading across his face. "It's $3,800, isn't it? I heard someone yelling outside, asking people to come buy. And you're complaining about me not
Apparently, the first competition was the intra-team competition at the school, not the main national team event. In Team One, Jack was leading his pack, and next was Jacob, who stepped up to lead his own pack since the swimmer who was supposed to be leading had sustained an injury.Once the gun fired and they jumped into the pool, the race began.As the gun fired, Jack and Jacob dove into the pool with the other swimmers. Their bodies sliced through the water with ease. Jack, being the confident and experienced swimmer that he was, took the lead immediately. His stroke was strong and powerful, his arms cutting through the water with a smooth, effortless motion, which made the students yell in excitement."Oh my god! Jack is a genius! Just look at the way he swims so well, like he's an aquatic animal," one student said."Wow, Jack is a total natural! He's like a fish in the water. I mean, look at Jacob over there, he's struggling to keep up!""Jack's technique is flawless! He's got the