The first day of the exam was exhausting, and everyone could tell that by the listless and haggard look of the Bennet children.
Atlas, Hugo, Slater, and Penny couldn’t even make it to their rooms as they lted on the couches in the living area. Their eyes were all blank. None of them was making the slightest sound. Even Butler Jen didn’t know what to do!
"Kids?" Minutes later, Allison happily ca in with a tray of sliced waterlons for her children. "Why don’t you have so snacks first to recharge?"
She sat down on the couch where Penny was lying shalessly. Looking down at Penny, Allison sighed.
"Penny, is the exam that hard?" she asked, but Penny just frowned.
"Mommy, why did no one tell that snack tis during exams are thirty minutes shorter?" Penny lanted. "I couldn’t even enjoy my snacks because Lily and Ginnie were always in a hurry."
Allison’s brows rose, thinking Penny was just like her brothers because of the exam. But it seed her daughter was more distressed at the fact that during exams, the school cut down their recess ti, but added more intervals to avoid any problems that might occur during breaks.
"Well. How about so waterlons?" Allison offered her daughter a smile, bending over to get Penny a slice. Since Penny wasn’t moving at all, Allison fed her and watched the spark of life return to Penny’s eyes. "Mrs. Cortez and I bought it from the wet market."
"The wet market?"
Allison nodded. "She took there, telling that it’s better to buy so stuff there. Also, she said you have a favorite stall to buy your waterlons."
"Wow..." Penny’s eyes sparkled and this ti, she quickly regained the energy back to sit up.
Allison chuckled, offering her daughter another slice to enjoy. Once Penny started munching, she looked at her boys with a smile.
"Boys, you should also eat to recharge," she said. "It’s a long and exhausting day, so give yourself so ti to relax."
Hugo peeked at Penny, who was now happily eating so lons. "Penny, is it good?"
"It’s the best!" Penny exclaid as if she was the seller herself. "There’s a waterlon stall my aunt and I used to shop for waterlons. They sell the cheapest but also the freshest waterlons in town!"
As Penny promoted the waterlon like crazy, Atlas glanced at the slices on the table. Without saying a word, he reached out for a slice and took a bite.
"It tastes..." Atlas slowly set his droopy eyes on Penny. "... like waterlon."
"Of course!" Penny nodded. "First Brother, were you expecting it to taste like strawberries?"
Atlas slid his eyes to the corner. ’I was expecting it to taste like strawberries.’
"Let’s try it!" Hugo mustered the remaining energy he still had and took a slice. He smiled the second he took a bite, giving Penny a thumbs up. "Penny, I like it."
"See?!" Penny giggled while Hugo nodded in satisfaction.
Watching her kids eat waterlons and slowly regain their energy, Allison’s brows rose. Her eyes slowly searched for the missing kid of this snack ti, and her gaze landed on the listless Slater.
"Slater?" she called. "Is everything alright?"
Allison’s call made everyone slowly turn their heads in Slater’s direction. The mont their eyes fell on him, the three children almost flinched. Slater looked back at them and he seed a little gaunt; he looked very distressed about sothing.
"Did you screw the exam?" was Hugo’s first guess, thinking this was about that.
"Slater, you didn’t have to perfect the exam." Atlas was quick to console him in his classic, flat tone. "As long as you’re not the last in your class, Penny’s money is safe."
Penny was pleased to hear Atlas’s priorities. "That’s right, Third Brother. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself."
"Slater, co on, dear," Allison sighed. "We all know you did your best, and you studied hard."
Her children nodded in agreent.
"You tried, and that’s the most important," Hugo remarked and cast Penny a aningful look.
When his eyes t Penny’s, she nodded.
"You didn’t slack during the study sessions," Atlas also mused. "So, whatever the results were, as long as you don’t end up at the bottom, there’s nothing to worry about."
All of them tried to cheer him up as it seed Slater took the first day of the exam really seriously. No one had seen him like this in the past. Therefore, they didn’t want to discourage him.
"You don’t know..." Slater mumbled listlessly. "It’s not like that..."
He kept mumbling the sa thing over and over, making his family exchange inquiring looks. When their eyes landed on him again, Allison asked;
"Slater, what do you an?"
Slater snapped his lifeless eyes at them, only to see their eyes shining with deep curiosity. His lips pressed as its corners curved down.
"Ma’am, here are the juices for..." Butler Jen, who was simply trying to serve them so juice, flinched when Slater suddenly whimpered.
"I made a big declaration today because I was pissed! And told everyone I’d top our class!" Slater confessed aloud, almost sounding like he was about to break down completely. "I told Keith that I would not beco a bottom feeder, but also, my na would be at the top that his na would never reach! Huhuhu!"
Hugo: "..."
Atlas: "..."
Penny: "..."
Allison: "..."
Butler Jen: "..."
The spilling juice that Butler Jen was pouring into the glass: "???"
"What am I going to do now!?" Slater wept in distress. "If I screw it up, everyone will think I’m a laughingstock! Ah! I shouldn’t have let him provoke like that!"
Slowly, the shock in everyone’s eyes disappeared, replaced with a proud smile. Although Hugo and Atlas didn’t know about the bullying — as per Slater’s request — they sort of felt proud of their little brother. As for Allison and Penny, they looked at each other with smiles before facing Slater.
"Slater, that’s okay," Hugo chuckled. "Even if you don’t reach the top, not being a bottom feeder is already a huge gap between the two of you."
"You don’t have to be first. Being in between the ranking is already heaven and earth for that boy from the Millers." Atlas nodded.
Penny also mused. "Third Brother, don’t worry! If you eat this waterlon, you’ll feel a lot better!"
"Penny, tell seriously. Is this waterlon shop yours?" Slater scrunched up his nose. "You’re promoting it like it’s your money tree."
"Just try it," Hugo handed him a piece. "And don’t think about it too much. Just move up three ranks and that boy will never reach you, even if he hires the best tutors in town."
Slater frowned, thinking that they weren’t taking him seriously. He grumbled and munched the waterlon, watching his mother help Butler Jen wipe the spilled juice.
’Oh, this waterlon is nice.’ Slater blinked as he ate more. ’It’s really nice.’
Just as Slater was recovering, his father dear arrived, and his uncle Haines. Everyone brought up Slater’s new bet and Charles would never miss a chance to make a big deal out of it.
But deep in their hearts, what was the most important about it was that Slater... stood up against his bully.
And that was probably his proudest mont and they could tell he was becoming braver each day.
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