Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter 2
Carlisle shrugged casually. “What’s the problem? Can’t I go to the cafeteria for lunch?”
Sean rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Oh, come on. You were going to get lunch for Sarah, weren’t you? Why not grab one for me too?”
“Alright, I’ll grab one for you when I come back,” Carlisle replied nonchalantly, heading out with a book in his hand.
Sean grumbled to himself, watching his friend leave. Was Carlisle really about to go fetch food and not even think about himself? It was almost too much to bear.
At 1:30 PM, Sarah and Sienna walked into the classroom, hand in hand, their faces glowing with smiles. “Sean, where’s Carlisle?” Sarah asked, scanning the room.
Sean pulled off his earphones and glanced at her, clearly annoyed. “No idea.”
Sienna crossed her arms, tapping her foot. “It’s so late. Does he expect us to starve?”
Sarah, ever the optimist, gave a soft smile. “Maybe he got caught up on the way. He’ll be back soon.”
As if on cue, Carlisle walked in, a book in one hand and two packed lunches in the other. Sarah and Sienna’s eyes lit up.
“Carlisle, thank you so much,” they chimed in unison, eager for their lunch.
Carlisle, however, looked confused. “Thank me for what?”
Sarah smiled sweetly, her eyes practically sparkling. “For the lunch, of course.”
Carlisle gave a half-shrug. “I didn’t bring you lunch.”
Sienna’s patience wore thin. “Alright, alright. We can see the food in your hands. Stop pretending.”
Carlisle simply stepped back to his seat. “Sean, finish your lunch. Class is starting soon.”
Sean blinked, stunned. “Wait… this is for me?” His eyes shifted to the lunch boxes Carlisle had handed him.
“Of course,” Carlisle replied, already digging into his own lunch. “You asked me to bring it.”
“Thanks, man,” Sean grinned, his mood instantly lifted as he began to eat.
Sarah and Sienna, standing side by side, exchanged incredulous glances. They stood there, mouths slightly open, as they processed what had just happened.
Sarah clenched her fists. “Carlisle, didn’t you hear me earlier about lunch?”
“I heard you,” Carlisle nodded, taking another bite of his food.
“Then why didn’t you bring us lunch?” Sarah demanded, frustration creeping into her voice.
“Because you didn’t pay me,” Carlisle shrugged, as though it were the most obvious answer.
Sarah’s eyes widened in disbelief. She was used to demanding things from him, never once thinking to offer anything in return. She had always expected him to do it as some sort of honor. But now, he was flipping the script.
“Then… why did you bring lunch for Sean? Did he pay you?” she asked, incredulity heavy in her tone.
Carlisle nodded seriously. “Sean paid for me at the internet café yesterday. So, I’m buying him lunch today.”
Sarah opened her mouth to retort but stopped herself, realizing she had never given Carlisle anything in return. The silence between them felt like an eternity.
Sean, still munching away, suddenly grinned. “Hey, Carl, how about we hit the internet café together tonight? It’s on me.”
Carlisle shook his head, unbothered. “I don’t have time. I have to study.”
Sarah, completely disregarding the moment, crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance. “I’m mad at you, Carlisle. Don’t bother me in the future.”
With that, she stormed off, leaving Sienna to throw a final glare at Carlisle.
“You’d better apologize to Sarah this afternoon,” Sienna snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Or else.”
Carlisle didn’t budge. “Where would I go? I’m studying this afternoon,” he said flatly, taking another bite of his lunch.
“Whatever,” Sienna muttered under her breath, then turned and walked after Sarah.
Carlisle looked at Sean, who was still happily eating. “The baked eggplant in the cafeteria is good. You should try it.”
Sean, who had already devoured half of his lunch, immediately grabbed the dish and nodded enthusiastically. “My favorite.”
The first class after lunch was math. Carlisle opened his math book and stared at the formulas, his mind a jumbled mess of confusion. It was like trying to read hieroglyphs.
While Carlisle was a solid student in language arts, math, physics, and chemistry were a whole different beast. He rubbed his forehead, trying to remember any formulas he had learned back in his previous life. Was there any way he could pull through the SATs this time?
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Carlisle walked up to the front row, where Sienna had been adjusting her bangs in the mirror, her gaze drifting towards Sarah.
“Sarah, Carlisle’s coming over,” Sienna whispered, nudging her friend.
Sarah’s expression darkened as she crossed her arms. “So what? He won’t be forgiven so easily. He’ll have to pay the price for getting on my nerves.”
Sienna nodded in agreement, her stomach growling slightly from the missed lunch. She wasn’t in the mood to forgive him either.
Carlisle approached Sarah’s seat, but she didn’t even bother to look up. Instead, she turned her head away with a dismissive huff. “Didn’t I tell you not to bother me?”
Carlisle, unfazed, turned and walked toward Wanda Thompson, the class monitor. “Hey, Wanda,” he said, his voice steady. “I have a question about this math problem.”
Wanda looked up from her book, adjusting her thick glasses. “Which one?”
Wanda was known for being studious and kind. Though she didn’t attract the attention Sarah did, her features were delicate and flawless, and she carried herself with an air of quiet confidence. Carlisle had always been too focused on Sarah to notice her, but now, as he stood by her side, he realized just how composed and capable she was.
Wanda took a moment to analyze the problem, her brow furrowing as she pondered. “This one’s tricky. How about we go over it after school? Class is about to start.”
“Sure, thanks, Wanda,” Carlisle said gratefully before walking back to his seat.
Sienna watched the interaction, still puzzled. “He just left without apologizing? What’s going on with him today?” she murmured.
Sarah, arms still crossed, clenched her teeth. “He’s probably too embarrassed to apologize in front of everyone.”
Sienna gave her friend a skeptical look. Something didn’t feel right.
Sarah, confident as ever, waved off her doubts. “Of course. He knows I’m aiming for Riverland University. Now he’s trying to catch up.”
