Aveline’s head throbbed as soon as she heard the voice. Why, oh why, did fate decide to place her in the same class as him again?
The person who had spoken was Kieran, her desk partner for six long years.
“Well, Aveline, you can sit next to Kieran,” Miss Emberly said with a knowing smile, assuming that since they were familiar with each other, they’d be fine sharing a desk again.
Aveline scanned the classroom. Of course, the only empty seat was the one next to Kieran.
“My dear little Aveline, we meet again! I just knew we’d end up as desk partners again. Look, I even saved this seat for you,” Kieran chirped as he stepped forward to carry her bag for her.
Seeing him made Aveline’s entire body tense up. It wasn’t that Kieran was unattractive-quite the opposite, in fact. His baby face was adorably delicate, with charmingly precise features.
The problem was that Kieran was noisy. Not just a little noisy, but incessantly so.
Aveline loved peace and quiet, loathing anyone who disrupted it with endless chatter. Not everyone in the world was like Joyce, who could tolerate anything.
She still remembered the first day she met Kieran. She was only six years old, and the teacher had seated her next to a boy.
The boy had large eyes and long eyelashes, so finely featured that Aveline couldn’t tell whether he was a boy or a girl.
As she observed him, he suddenly spoke.
“Wow, you’re so pretty, like a little doll!” he exclaimed. “My name’s Kieran. What’s yours?”
The disappointment was clear on her face when she heard his voice-it was a boy after all. She was just about to tell him her name when he interrupted her again.
“Wait, don’t tell me! Let me guess… Your name is Stella, right?”
“No,” she replied curtly.
“But your eyes are as beautiful as the stars in the sky. I was so sure your name must be Stella!”
Aveline rolled her eyes at him. This boy… so glib.
“Don’t turn away! If I get it wrong, will you tell me your name?”
That entire morning, Aveline endured his nonstop chatter. She thought she’d finally be free after that, but it turned out to be just the beginning of a long nightmare.
From that day onward, a delicate-looking boy had attached himself to her like glue. He didn’t bother anyone else-just her.
“Aveline, your bow tie is so pretty this morning.”
“Aveline, your dress looks amazing.”
“Aveline, are your shoes from Paris? I’ll ask my mom to get me the same brand.”
Most of the time, Aveline was left speechless. Encountering someone this chatty felt like the bane of her existence.
And now, after all these years, here he was again.
Kieran, unfazed by her cold demeanor, spoke as easily as he had before. “Aveline, how did you end up transferring here? Where have you been all this time?”
“Aveline, I heard you were studying somewhere else. Which school was it? I asked around, but no one could tell me.”
“Aveline, why are you still so cold to me?”
“Aveline, little Aveline, my dear little Aveline.”
“Shut up,” Aveline snapped, glaring at him. Her good mood from transferring schools was instantly ruined.
“Wow, Aveline, you actually spoke to me! And it was two whole words!”
Aveline: “…”
Even after knowing him for six years, she still couldn’t get used to his chatty nature.
“Kieran, I understand that you’re excited to see an old classmate, but we’re in class now. Please keep quiet,” Aveline said firmly.
Teachers at this elite school spoke to students with the utmost politeness, as if each one were a little prince or princess. Heaven forbid they upset anyone.
“Sure, Miss Emberly,” Kieran replied sweetly, flashing a charming smile. His good nature made him popular with both teachers and students.
When class ended, many classmates flocked to Aveline.
“Aveline, where have you been all this time?”
“I heard you transferred here. Were you studying in New York?”
Some students who had transferred from other schools didn’t know who Aveline was. But her sudden appearance quickly became the subject of intense gossip.
“Who is that new girl? That skirt she’s wearing is a limited edition from this year. I begged my dad to pull some strings, but he still couldn’t get it.”
“You don’t know who she is? She’s a big deal. Trust me, steer clear of her.”
“How big of a deal are we talking?”
“Do you know Julian Barnet and his wife?”
“Of course! They’ve been legends in the business world for years. Everybody knows them.”
“Well, Aveline is their daughter. If you mess with her, you’ll regret it.”
At this school, unlike in regular schools, students made it a point to investigate each other’s backgrounds. Even bullying had to be calculated-no one would dare target someone with Aveline’s pedigree.
“She’s their daughter? I should go introduce myself. It’s always good to make friends with someone like her.”
“Make friends? Forget it. I was in her neighboring class back in elementary school. Everyone knows she’s a total ice queen. She never interacts with anyone. I’ve never seen her get close to anyone.”
“She’s really that cold? Not even Kieran gets any special treatment?”
“Of course not. She’s untouchable. Just stay out of her way.”
Unbeknownst to Aveline, her background had already become the talk of the entire class.
Just like in elementary school, she left each day under the watchful eyes of her peers. But unlike her previous school, there were no reckless troublemakers here to bother her.
What she found most exhausting were the endless greetings and small talk with people she didn’t know. This was one of the reasons she had initially chosen to attend Cherrywood-to escape the constant attention.
She wanted a simple life, a chance to focus on her studies without being placed on a pedestal. But it seemed life never offered a perfect solution.
In just one morning, ninety percent of the class had already greeted her.
The remaining ten percent were students from modest backgrounds, admitted to the school based on their academic achievements. In the eyes of their wealthier peers, they were “scholarship kids,” far too intimidated to approach Aveline. They could only watch her from afar, their gazes filled with envy.
Who wouldn’t envy someone like her? Born into a life of privilege, treated like a princess from the moment she entered the world.
Yet amidst the fleeting faces and greetings, one persistent figure remained impossible to shake off.
“Aveline, school’s over. Let me walk you home,” Kieran offered.
“No need. Someone’s picking me up,” Aveline replied as she packed her books.
“Aveline, your boy is here again,” teased a classmate familiar with her and Orion.
Since elementary school, Orion had always come to pick her up after school. Everyone knew the two of them were childhood friends.