Chapter 87: Chapter 87: A Certain Jealous Person
Holly Winslow tensed up, her eyes widening as she stared at Mortir Quincy. "..."
’What is this jerk, Mortir Quincy, trying to do!’
Because of their "cousin" relationship, Paul Powell and the others didn’t take it seriously. Paul perched on the edge of a desk and teased, "Mortir, if you’ve got the guts, wear a matching outfit with your actual girlfriend. Don’t use your cousin as a cover-up." He finished with a wink and a suggestive grin.
Chase Hawkins and the others laughed along. Chase chid in, "Mortir, when are you going to introduce us to your girlfriend? We’ll treat her to dinner."
Pantheon and Zeke Zane: "..."
’These morons!’
’Mortir literally said they were matching couple’s outfits!’
’Aren’t those two words powerful enough?’
Having survived the close call, Holly Winslow was speechless. "..."
Mortir gave a slight shrug and slumped lazily into his seat. "Holly, they said they want to treat you to dinner."
Holly Winslow: "..."
She shot him a subtle glare. ’Tone it down.’
Zeke Zane and Pantheon: "..."
Seeing that Mortir was unwilling to bring out his girlfriend, Paul Powell scoffed. "La, Mortir. Hey, cousin, I’ll treat you to dinner."
Pantheon: "..."
He gave Paul Powell an exasperated shove. "Hurry up and get out of here. I’ve got howork to do."
’He’s so annoying to look at.’
Once everyone had dispersed, Mortir propped his head up with one hand and knocked on Holly’s desk. "Holly, let
check your howork."
The corners of his eyes crinkled upwards; he was obviously delighted.
Holly stuck her tongue out at him. ’So childish, Mortir!’
Then, she handed him her howork from every subject to check over and pulled out a blank math test to work on.
The two of them didn’t speak for about half an hour. After closing her last physics assignnt, Mortir turned his head to look at Holly.
’Like a well-behaved little schoolgirl.’
Just then, Pantheon brought a bag of apples over to Mortir. "My grandma grew these. For you and your cousin."
"Thanks."
Mortir bent down to stuff the bag into Holly’s desk drawer, but she quickly grabbed his wrist. "Be careful! You’ll crush my cupcakes," she said anxiously. "My dad bought them for ."
Seeing her carefully retrieve a bag of cupcakes, Mortir let out a low chuckle and deliberately teased her, "Let
have one."
Holly knew he didn’t like sweets like these and was definitely just teasing her. She puffed out her cheeks, guarding her food. "No way."
...
The evening reading session was for studying the vocabulary for Unit 3 in advance. Eileen Webb had sothing to do today, so last week she’d asked Mortir to lead the class for her.
As soon as the bell rang, Mortir walked up to the podium with his English book. "Take out your English books," he said in a low voice. "Turn to the vocabulary list for Unit 3."
Many of the students hadn’t noticed what he was wearing before, but now the entire class saw it.
A cute, pink cat head.
Under the bright lights, the pink cat head was even more conspicuous. Paired with his currently cold expression, it created a very jarring image.
Holly half-hid her face with her English book, unable to suppress a giggle.
Mortir glanced in her direction and gave her a aningful arch of his eyebrow before beginning to teach the English lesson with a perfectly straight face.
A few minutes later, Gabe Chaucer ca in. He froze for a mont when he saw Mortir’s shirt, but quickly looked away.
He scanned the students, raising a hand to signal them to stop. Then he said sternly, "You all sound half-dead. There’s no energy at all. Open your mouths and shout! If you keep sounding so listless, you can all do your reading standing up."
He then looked at Mortir and gestured for him to continue.
Mortir: "Previous."
The whole class roared back: "PREVIOUS, PREVIOUS, PREVIOUS."
Gabe Chaucer watched them with a satisfied expression.
Hearing the noise, the horoom teacher in the classroom next door said to their own students, "Listen to the Rocket Class, and then listen to yourselves! You’re all half-dead! And you have the nerve to complain to
about bugs? You think the Rocket Class doesn’t have bugs?"
"Grades aren’t everything, but you have to put in the effort, students!"
The entire class: "..."
Soon, that entire class also started reading at the top of their lungs.
In the Rocket Class
About ten minutes later, Mortir stopped leading the recitation. His gaze fell on Holly, and with a perfectly straight face, he called on her. "Holly Winslow, stand up and read."
Holly Winslow: "..."
’That jerk Mortir was definitely doing this on purpose.’
She dawdled as she got to her feet, and the pink cat head on her shirt—identical to Mortir’s—was exposed for the whole class to see. It naturally caught Gabe Chaucer’s attention, but the thought of them being couple’s outfits didn’t even cross his mind.
’They must be matching sibling shirts.’
Holly began to read the English vocabulary as usual. "Aspect..."
Seeing his girl’s head sinking lower and lower, the smile in Mortir’s eyes deepened until he finally couldn’t hold back a low chuckle, which he quickly suppressed.
After Holly sat down, Mortir called on two more students in a transparent attempt to cover his tracks. A mont later, he returned to his seat just as the bell for self-study rang.
Gabe Chaucer clapped his hands. "It’s evening self-study. No more talking. Hurry up and get your howork done. Finish your other subjects first and save the language arts howork for last. I’ll collect it tomorrow at noon."
He’d been a student once himself, so he knew the deal: most students wouldn’t do their howork over the holiday break.
After a few brief remarks, he let them start their work. He walked from the front of the classroom to the back, patrolling the aisles a few tis.
Finally, he stopped beside Mortir’s desk, bent down, and asked amiably, "How have your studies been lately?"
Mortir nodded. "They’re fine."
Gabe Chaucer placed the sign-up sheet for the sports et on his desk. "Glad to hear it. For the sports et in April, could you organize the roster when you have ti? There’s no rush, just turn it in by Friday."
’Ahem. If he tried to organize it, the students wouldn’t give him the ti of day.’
Mortir, who had just been roped into it: "..."
"Alright."
After Gabe Chaucer left, Holly tilted her head and asked, looking a little excited, "Are we having a sports et?"
The timing of the sports et varied from school to school, but Jarton High’s was always in April.
Mortir looked at her. "You’re not participating."
The last 800-ter race had nearly killed Holly, and she didn’t want to participate either. But she felt like he was looking down on her. "Why not? I earned points for our class in the last race."
Mortir raised an eyebrow and leaned close to her ear. "You want to ’bleed for the cause’ to earn points?"
’Her period.’
Holly Winslow: "..."
Flushing with anger and embarrassnt, she muttered, "Go ’desire’ a wall."
Mortir leaned in shalessly. "I’d rather desire you."
Holly: "..."
Mortir handed the sports et roster to Zeke Zane and Pantheon, signaling for them to each sign up for an event.
Zeke Zane and Pantheon: "..."
’Well, they owed him one for the apples.’
’Might as well sign up.’
After the two of them signed up, they passed the sheet down the row. By the end of the first self-study period, the list ca back to him. The boys’ 3000-ter and long jump events were still empty, so he simply filled in so nas himself.
The girls’ section was completely empty, but he paid it no mind. He took the list and headed to the office to give it to Gabe Chaucer.
Not long after he left the office, soone ca looking for Holly.
It was Shane Lester, dressed in his school uniform.
Holly was a bit surprised. She hadn’t run into him at all these past several days. "Shane... Lester, what’s up?"
Shane Lester handed her a bag, looking a little shy. "My grandma made so fried dough twists and asked
to bring you so."
Holly had eaten Grandma Lester’s cooking many tis before. She took the bag. "Thank you. Wait here a second." She carried the bag into the classroom and ca back out a mont later holding sothing else.
She handed it to Shane Lester with a smile. "These cupcakes are pretty good."
Shane Lester waved his hands. "No, it’s fine. You have them, Holly."
"I still have..."
Holly was startled by Mortir, who had appeared beside her at so point. His eyes were fixed on Shane Lester with a displeased look.
’He looked like he was catching a cheating spouse in the act.’
She: "..."
She turned back to Shane Lester and continued, "I have more. My dad bought too many, and they’ll just go bad if I leave them."
Shane Lester glanced at Mortir, took the cupcakes, said thanks, and left.
Before Holly could explain things to a certain jealous person, that sa jealous person spoke up, his tone dripping with acid. "’Dad bought too many,’ huh? I didn’t see you offering
any."
...
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