Seeing him sidle up to Holly, Mortimer pulled her over to his other side, putting some distance between them. Then, he glanced at Zeke Zane. "You know why you're the perennial runner-up?"
Holly couldn't help but lower her head to hide a smile, adding a thought of her own. 'And in the future, he'll still be completely whipped.'
"Why?" Zeke hadn't caught on and reflexively took the bait.
"Because you're blind." Mortimer sounded rather disdainful as he pulled Holly down the stairs.
Zeke froze for a second. 'Blind? How am I blind? What did I even do?'
Seeing the two of them about to disappear around the bend in the staircase, it suddenly clicked for him. He let out a few "Ohs!" and rushed to catch up. "You guys can't be..." he began, shocked.
They were still at school, with students all around, so he immediately swallowed the rest of his words.
Mortimer couldn't be bothered to answer him. He lowered his head to speak to Holly. "How did your monthly exams go?"
"Math was a disaster." Holly looked up at him, her face glum as she shook her head.
Mortimer chuckled and reached out to pat her head. "Did you bring the test paper home?"
"I brought it."
"I'll go over it with you when we get home."
Once outside the school gate, Mortimer retrieved his black bicycle. He was a day student since he lived nearby.
Once Holly was settled on the back seat, he looked at the still-shocked Zeke. "We're leaving."
The bicycle weaved unsteadily through the crowd and moved forward.
"Want to get bubble tea? Or is there anywhere else you want to go?" Mortimer kept his eyes forward, raising his voice slightly over the surrounding din.
"Let's..."
Before Holly could finish her sentence, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took it out; the screen displayed "Dad."
She patted Mortimer's waist. "My dad's calling. Pull over for a second."
Mortimer quickly pulled the bike to the side and waited for her to take the call.
It was noisy around them, so Holly covered the phone with her hand. "Hello, Dad."
"I was buying books at Jarton High."
"No need to pick me up, I'll be right home."
Holly hung up and put her phone away. "No bubble tea for us. I have to get home right away."
"Alright."
Mortimer waited until she was seated securely before he started pedaling again.
When they reached the entrance to the Delian Community, Holly had Mortimer let her off. She was about to say something when she spotted her family's car—the one with the four-ring logo—just a few feet away. Wyatt Winslow was in the driver's seat, his brow furrowed in a stern frown.
"..."
"Dad."
Holly took her backpack and walked over, explaining guiltily, "Dad, he's my classmate. He was heading this way, so he just gave me a ride."
Wyatt Winslow wasn't as open-minded as Mortimer's parents, and since Holly was a girl, he was especially strict with her in these matters.
Mortimer came over and said politely, "Uncle Winslow, I'm Holly's classmate, Mortimer Quincy."
"Mm. Thanks for the trouble today."
It was impossible to read Wyatt's stern expression. He then said to Holly, "Get in the car."
Holly gave Mortimer a subtle wave before getting into the passenger seat.
The car started up, made a U-turn, and drove away from the community.
The atmosphere in the car was silent.
Holly licked her lips, trying to break the tension. "Dad, did you go to the school to pick me up?"
'Normally, Dad wouldn't have called to ask where I was at that particular time.'
"Mm. It was on the way," Wyatt said, staring straight ahead, his tone all business.
'Their family factory was four or five bus stops past Jarton High, while Jarton Second High was in the opposite direction. One was north and the other south; it was hardly "on the way."'
Holly remembered all the times Wyatt had picked her up before, always saying it was "on the way." She was going through a rebellious phase back then and always liked to poke at him, telling him to come pick her up some time when it *wasn't* on his way.
Thinking about it now, she felt a pang of guilt.
She said with a cheerful grin, "Dad, from now on, I'll call you ahead of time on Friday afternoons. If you're free, come and get me. I get all sweaty every time I have to squeeze onto the bus."