Ever arrived at Papa Jonas' house and saw a young girl marinating crabs as she sat on a man-made wooden platform. She instantly recognised her as the daughter of the older couple and went closer to her.
''You must be Chichi, right?'' Ever asked with a smile. When the girl looked up and saw Ever, the rising sun shone and casted itself upon the latter at that sa mont and its reflection made the girl to squirt her eyes a little. Ever sat on the wooden platform next to the girl. ''Can you teach how to do that?'' Ever pointed at the basin.
''Who are you?'' Joy asked as she looked at Ever from head to toe. She was the first person she had seen having the sa stature just like herself.
''Hi, I am Everest France, a friend of your parents and soon to also be your friend'' Ever said stretching forth her hand, she shook the girl's free left hand.
''My parents left for the sea, they will be back in an hour ti'' she said and stood up, ''would you like to wait for them?''
''Yes, I will wait and also take the opportunity to learn a few things from you''
''What would you like to drink? We have rice wine in the house''
''Honey tea will be fine too'' Ever said and Joy nodded her head with a shy smile.
''I thought you were much of a drinker, sorry. I will get you a cup of tea right away''
'Sure''
Chichi left and Ever put down her purse and stood up, she went to the tap at a distance and washed her hands before returning. She took off her shoes and sat down with her legs folded into her thighs in front of the basin.
Chichi returned with a small ceramic cup containing the tea, ''here. Let do it, I can't let a visitor help with this''
''I am not considered a visitor'' Ever sipped the tea and placed it on the tray before pointing at the basin, ''show how to do that''
''Okay'' Joy smiled and started teaching her how to marinate the crabs.
...
Saint Resort.
Jayden finally finished with his early morning eting and dismissed the workers out of the conference room leaving only himself and Ann.
''Where did Ever go to?''' he asked Ann as he took out his phone.
''She I saw her leaving the resort early in the morning. I'm not sure where she went to'' Ann answered as she collected the files containing the minutes of the eting.
''What is my schedule for the rest of the day?''
''You have a lunch date with the mayor of Neo Island and we can leave for the city afterwards''
''I see. You haven't had your breakfast right?''
''Yes'' Ann answered enthusiastically with a smile.
''You can order whatever you like at the restaurant and eat. I'm going out to look for Ever'' Jayden said and Ann's face contorted as her body stiffened. She thought Jayden was asking because he wanted to have breakfast with her but it seed that wasn't the case.
''What about your eting later on with the mayor? It is almost noon''
''Postpone it to another ti if I'm not back by then'' Jayden said and took off in hurried strides. After he left, Ann took out her phone and made a call.
''How are preparations going on over there? Are you confident that you will win? If you don't win this competition, I will not let you off so easily'' she said into the phone and ended the call. she sat back on her chair and sighed.
Since she was already the villain, she was going to go all out and make sure Ever didn't have a place in the industry again. She clutched her hand into a ball and bit her lips hard as mories of their school days ca to her mind.
###
The year 20xx
Morris High School.
Girls' washroom.
Ann walked of the still and was about to wash her hands when she heard the sobs of soone inside one of the still. She walked closer to the said still and stood outside. She removed her handkerchief and extended her hand inside the still saying, ''take this''
Ann waited by the door after the handkerchief was taken from her hand. She stood there as students ca inside and left until it was almost closing ti when the still opened and a girl with rounded spectacles ca out. She was of average height and had a rather thick body for girls her age.
''Thank you, I will get you a new one tomorrow. Where is your class?'' the girl asked.
''No need to. I didn't stay back because I wanted you to return that to . I just didn't want you to feel lonely that's all. Is everything alright with you?'' Ann asked and seed to rember sothing, ''ah, where are my manners? My na is Ann Sanchez''
''I am Everest France but everyone calls Ever''
''Can I call you Ever too?''
''Yes, which class are you?'' Ever asked as she continued to sniff her nose.
''I am in Class 1A, what about you?''
''The elite class. I am in class 1D, the last class'' Ever said as she went to wash her hands.
''What? Who told you such a thing? I don't see ranks; I only see classrooms''
''I see'' they started to walk out together.
''Do you want to talk about it? Why are you crying inside? Did soone bully you?'' Ann asked as they walked down the stairs to their classrooms hallway.
''Not really, they just mock because I look different. I am not slender enough''
''Different isn't always bad. You aren't slender enough doesn't an you aren't beautiful''
As they walked closer towards the senior block which was before their block, they heard the students giggling and whispering as they made way for soone.
Ever frowned as soon as she saw Jayden walking towards her. she turned quickly and was about to go up the stairs when she heard his voice.
''Stop there if you don't want to get angry, Ever''
Ever cussed internally and turned back for face him with a sheepish smile. She hated him whenever he did that yet he was always doing whatever he wanted. She had warned him severally to act as if they didn't know each other at school, but he was just so stubborn, always putting her on the spot.
When Jayden said that, the students, especially the girls started mumbling and so ever threw disgusting looks at Ever. Ann who was standing beside Ever had an awed look on her face as she stared at Jayden who had now reached to where they were standing.
''Is him'' she murmured. She had seen Jayden at the beginning of the school year and had developed a crush on him but she had not managed to see him again even after searching almost the whole school. This was the last place she expected to see him and he also seed to even know the new girl beside her.
''Everest France, were you by any chance running away from ?'' Jayden asked and Ever faked a smile as she shook her head.
''No, just now, I thought I heard soone ntion my na up there, so I was going to check. Turns out, it was you calling , what a coincidence'' Ever said nervously as she scanned through the hallway, noticing the eyes of the girls on her. this was precisely why she always avoided him at school. He was so oblivious to the fact that the girls bullied her because of her connection with him. So even tried to use her to get closer to him.
''Really? If that is the case, where is my walnut pancakes?''
''They should have digested by now in my stomach since I ate all of it alone''
Jayden frowned at her words, he was about to say sothing when he noticed her puffy eyes behind the shades. ''were you crying?'' he asked in an angry tone and Ann looked at him, studying him.
''No, I wasn't'' Ever said and brushed his hand away from her face, she looked ahead and saw the two girls who had warned her to stay away from Jayden and even threw the pancakes she had painstakingly made that morning.
Jayden seed to see through her act and turned almost imdiately and saw those two girls. He knew them very well because they always gave Ever hard ti.
Having been seen by Jayden, the girls turned to go and he stopped them, ''stop there'' he said and was about to go when Ever held his hand, he looked at her and she shook her head, signalling him to stop but he wouldn't have any of that. he took her hand and walked with her to the girls.
''Where is the walnut pancakes?'' he asked the girls, who had a look of shock on their faces.
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