Chapter 4

Seeing my progress, I trusted Chloe’s guidance even more. I studied like a man possessed.

Meanwhile, Tyler’s grades plummeted. He couldn't even keep up with the basic curriculum anymore.

The way he looked at me grew increasingly hostile.

And then, the rumors started.

Lucas pulled me aside one afternoon, looking worried.

"Ethan, Tyler’s been telling everyone that Chloe is using you like a dog."

"He says you do whatever she wants, like a total simp. And..."

"And what?"

"And he said Chloe is just playing with you for fun. Once she gets bored of her 'nerdy pet,' she’ll dump you. He says you’re a fool doing free labor for her without even getting laid."

Lucas looked at me cautiously. "He said you're embarrassing all the guys in school."

My grip on my pen tightened.

"Ethan, maybe you should keep some distance from Chloe?" Lucas suggested. "Just until the rumors blow over."

"We're not dating," I said. "We're just studying."

Lucas opened his mouth to reply, but our academic advisor, Mr. Davis, suddenly appeared at the door.

"Ethan, my office. Now."

In the office, Tyler was standing in the corner, a smug, vindictive grin plastered on his face.

Chloe was there too, along with her advisor, Mr. Miller.

I felt a surge of anxiety, but I kept my face blank.

Mr. Davis cleared his throat. "Ethan, what is the nature of your relationship with Chloe?"

"We're study partners," I said, keeping my voice steady. "We both have subjects we struggle with, so we help each other out."

Tyler cut in eagerly.

"Study partners? Do study partners need to be glued to each other's sides? “

“You guys hang out after school, study together every weekend, and you do whatever she tells you to do! He's like a trained poodle, Mr. Davis!"

I ignored him, wanting to explain further, but Chloe spoke up first.

"I like him. Is there a problem with that?"

The office fell into a dead, stunned silence.

Tyler’s eyes went wide, his smug grin melting into pure, ugly jealousy.

He probably thought the school was going to suspend us for some inappropriate conduct.

Mr. Davis blinked, trying to find his words, but Mr. Miller raised a hand to stop him.

"And what are your intentions, Chloe?" Mr. Miller asked gently.

Chloe glanced at Tyler. "Can he leave?"

Tyler looked outraged, but Mr. Davis gave him a stern look, gesturing for him to get out. Tyler dragged his feet, shutting the door reluctantly.

Once the door was closed, Chloe looked at the advisors.

"What Ethan said is true. What I said is also true. Though, I haven't officially asked him out yet. He didn't know."

I stood there, completely dumbfounded.

Chloe continued, "You've seen our latest academic reports. Both of our scores have gone up. I enjoy studying with him. He gives me motivation and a sense of partnership."

"He is the most resilient person I have ever met. I developed feelings for him, and I wanted us to get into our dream colleges before making it official."

She looked at Mr. Davis and Mr. Miller, her expression so calm and mature it didn't belong to a high schooler.

"But you've disrupted my plan, and I am not pleased."

She sounded as if they were the ones who had made a mistake.

My heart was pounding, and my eyelids fluttered. I couldn't help but think: Being a genius is truly a cheat code. She just turned the tables on the advisors.

The funny thing was, Mr. Davis and Mr. Miller didn't even look angry.

They looked at each other, probably having never met a student who defended her "romance" so logically and righteously.

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

Chloe shot me a quick look.

I quickly suppressed my smile and looked at the teachers seriously.

"We will keep our focus on our studies, sir. Chloe wants to pursue aerospace engineering at Caltech. I want to change my life and make something of myself in tech."

"Whatever our relationship is, it will only push us to work harder for our future."

Chloe looked at me, her eyes shining brighter than I had ever seen.

The two advisors exchanged glances. Finally, Mr. Miller sighed. "We will monitor your mock exams. If there is even a slight drop in your grades, this joint study arrangement ends."

"Understood."

Walking out of the office, I turned to Chloe. "What you said in there... did you mean it?"

She looked at me. "What if I did?"

My heart skipped a beat, my palms grew sweaty, and my mind went totally blank.

"Let’s just focus on the next SAT prep test," I muttered, trying to keep my cool. "It’s in a week."