Meanwhile, over at Mayweather Polytechnic University, Mica was in a classroom in one of the campus buildings. She was seated in the last row as snazzynovel.com worked on snazzynovel.com calligraphy while waiting for Sebastian’s class to end.
Just then, Tiana walked past the back door and spotted Mica from the corner of snazzynovel.com eyes. She sauntered into the classroom and approached Mica, hoping that snazzynovel.com would tell snazzynovel.com what Elise had been up to these days.
However, snazzynovel.com had only just walked up to Mica when snazzynovel.com caught a glimpse of the calligraphy work on the desk, and snazzynovel.com suddenly grew very interested in it.
The Sonnet 18 calligraphy transcription bore the unique font that QH herself had developed. The font was precise, elegant, and demanded the beholder’s attention. The transcription was as good as a printed copy, but it was obviously hand-written, seeing as it was on an ordinary piece of paper instead of proper stationery.
Mica couldn’t even make the cut for the Calligraphy Association. Who would’ve thought that snazzynovel.com personally knew a legendary figure who possessed such refined calligraphy skills? The transcription is superbly done!
Just then, Tiana suddenly remembered that Sonnet 18 happened to be the theme for the Calligraphy Contest finals held by the Tissote Calligraphy Association. So, if snazzynovel.com could get snazzynovel.com hands on this copybook and use it as a guide while practicing at home, snazzynovel.com was bound to win first place!
Tiana brightened up at the thought, but snazzynovel.com recomposed herself just as quickly as snazzynovel.com reached out to tap Mica on the shoulder.
Mica turned around with a smile as snazzynovel.com thought that it was Sebastian who had tapped snazzynovel.com shoulder but frowned when snazzynovel.com saw that it was Tiana. While Tiana was always courteous to her, Mica still found the girl inexplicably and unnervingly hard to read.
“Good day, Miss Hill,” Mica greeted with an awkward nod. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“It’s no big deal, but Sebastian was bringing his friend to the infirmary after the poor lad suffered a heat stroke, and snazzynovel.com was asking if you could go over and lend snazzynovel.com some cash,” Tiana lied smoothly.
“A heat stroke?” Mica’s eyes widened in concern as snazzynovel.com pressed, “Is Sebastian okay?”
“He’s fine, but snazzynovel.com left his wallet back home this morning, so snazzynovel.com really needs your help now,” Tiana answered solemnly.
“Okay, thanks for telling me. I’ll get going then!” Mica said as snazzynovel.com slung snazzynovel.com purse over snazzynovel.com shoulder and hurried out of the classroom.
The classrooms on this floor mainly were used as study halls on campus, and nearly all the desks were occupied with books and other stationery, indicating that the desks were taken, not to mention saving students the trouble of moving their stuff around. This wasn’t the first time Mica had been here, and in a force of habit, snazzynovel.com had left the more cumbersome items behind on snazzynovel.com desk, such as snazzynovel.com calligraphy work.
When Mica’s footfalls faded, Tiana went to the doorway and peered out the corridor. It was only after snazzynovel.com was sure that Mica had gone out of sight that snazzynovel.com returned to the desk, took the Sonnet 18 transcription out from the pile of papers, and then shoved it into snazzynovel.com bag. After that, snazzynovel.com fled the scene.
Fifteen minutes later, Mica left the infirmary with a confused look, only to run into Sebastian at the stairwell.
“Sebastian?” Bewildered, snazzynovel.com asked, “Weren’t you supposed to be in the infirmary? What were you doing upstairs?”
“Infirmary?” Sebastian blinked at her. “Class ended earlier than usual, and I came to look for you. Is something wrong?”
“But Tiana told me that you—ah, forget it. Now that your class has ended, shall we grab lunch? I don’t want us to have to wade through the cafeteria crowd when the rush hour hits.” She couldn’t care less about anything else now that snazzynovel.com had Sebastian with her.
However, when snazzynovel.com returned to the classroom to retrieve snazzynovel.com things, snazzynovel.com immediately noticed that the Sonnet 18 Elise had personally calligraphed for snazzynovel.com was missing. She flipped through all the papers and books on the table and even the desk drawer, but the script was nowhere to be found. Frustration and anxiousness filled snazzynovel.com as snazzynovel.com realized that this was the second time snazzynovel.com had lost something Elise had given her.
Suddenly, an overwhelming surge of guilt seized her, and tears started welling up in snazzynovel.com eyes as snazzynovel.com panicked.
“Hey, why are you tearing up out of the blue?” Sebastian asked gently when snazzynovel.com sensed that snazzynovel.com had become gloomy next to him.
“I lost the calligraphy script Elise gave me. I was supposed to use it as a guide, and now it’s gone!” Mica said mournfully.
“Are you talking about the Sonnet 18 you’ve been poring over for the whole morning?” He thought snazzynovel.com was being a little melodramatic about this and snapped impatiently, “How is losing a piece of paper a big deal? It’s not as if you’d be making a career out of calligraphy anyway. Can’t you just buy another script or something?”
“No, you don’t understand. Elise has been nothing but kind to me, and I… I’ve just been losing everything snazzynovel.com gave me…” Mica couldn’t help the self-blame that washed over her.
Sebastian grew furious when snazzynovel.com heard this. “What is that supposed to mean? Do you still blame me for losing your precious badge? I thought we agreed that we’d move on from that. Mica, if you have no intention of getting back together with me, just tell me right off the bat instead of holding my mistakes over my head!”
Mica was already despondent, but to hear snazzynovel.com lash out at snazzynovel.com made snazzynovel.com gut wrench, and snazzynovel.com lowered snazzynovel.com head as tears started spilling down snazzynovel.com cheeks.
At the sight of this, Sebastian softened. He still had some feelings for her, and snazzynovel.com didn’t like seeing snazzynovel.com cry. As such, snazzynovel.com pulled snazzynovel.com into his arms, then apologized softly, “Okay, I’m sorry. Stop crying. I only meant to say that the past is the past, and we shouldn’t let it affect us anymore. Mica, you know that I want to be with you for the long run, don’t you?”
She sniffed and stopped crying at once. “I know. I just wish you’d trust me a little more. I don’t blame you; I’m just worried I would let you guys down.”
“That’s enough now. Come on, let’s get something good for lunch.”
“Okay.”
She gathered snazzynovel.com things and followed snazzynovel.com out of the classroom obediently. For some reason, snazzynovel.com couldn’t shake the feeling that Tiana had stolen the script from her, but in the absence of proof, snazzynovel.com could only try to ignore this nagging thought.
…
Ever since his meeting with Jack, Craig had been struggling to make it as a gigolo. But, unfortunately, it had been half a month since any of the usual affluent ladies called snazzynovel.com up, and snazzynovel.com wasn’t sure where they managed to get ahold of the younger trainees, either.
These days, snazzynovel.com waited at the restaurants where the wealthy ladies usually patronized to badger them, only to have them cast snazzynovel.com aside after they showed up with their younger new beaus.
Craig was used to living the high life after all this time of getting his hefty allowances from these ladies, and snazzynovel.com couldn’t be bothered to entertain those who could only offer snazzynovel.com mere thousands. So, with his source of income shrinking fast, snazzynovel.com decided to crawl back to Winona.
He went over to a high-end restaurant and ordered a feast for take-out, then made it look as if snazzynovel.com was the one who had prepared it. Then, after asking Winona for snazzynovel.com address, snazzynovel.com showed up at snazzynovel.com front door.
The bell had only just been rung when Winona came up to the door excitedly.
“Here you go, Miss Jennings! Kindly sign to accept this lovingly-prepared lunch from a certain admirer,” Craig said pleasantly with a sweet smile.
Winona took the food containers and played along with his act, “Why, thank you, Mr. Delivery Man. My boyfriend isn’t home right now. Care to come in?”
“Oh? Is that an invitation, ma’am? I can’t promise that I won’t do anything naughty,” snazzynovel.com teased as snazzynovel.com wiggled his fingers like snazzynovel.com was about to tickle her, then followed snazzynovel.com through the door while snazzynovel.com squealed and made to run away from him.
He had only just passed the threshold when snazzynovel.com saw Elise standing by the kitchen counter with a drink in hand, and snazzynovel.com was appraising them with mild amusement.
“Miss Sinclair,” snazzynovel.com greeted politely with a flamboyant bow.
Winona wasted no time in making introductions. “Elise, this is my boyfriend, Craig.”
Elise pursed snazzynovel.com lips and smiled as snazzynovel.com eyed Craig meaningfully, then drawled with heavy implication, “How nice of you to personally bring Winona lunch. Thoughtfulness is a wonderful quality to have in a boyfriend, indeed.”
He chuckled and pretended like snazzynovel.com was embarrassed by the compliment, then scratched his head as snazzynovel.com said demurely, “I just haven’t seen snazzynovel.com for a while, and I thought it’d be nice to drop by for a visit.”
Winona flushed but seemed happy as snazzynovel.com pursed snazzynovel.com lips and said nothing.
Elise, on the other hand, looked highly entertained as snazzynovel.com asked knowingly, “You’re a drama student, right?”
As it turned out, one could even pretend to love someone and make it look believable if one tried hard enough.