Chapter 13 You–Run With Me

I was cking off,” Eliza casually brushed off the question, hoping to end the conversation.

+8 Pearls

But the moment those words left her mouth, she felt the air behind her go colder. That gaze–already sharp–had turned. freezing.

Ding–ding-

The bell rang

Eliza let out a breath of relief. She stood up, shoved her workbook into her bag, and used the bathroom as an excuse to slip out of the ssroomb. /b

Behind her. Nn watched her bleave/b.

He got up

“Nn, wait for me!”

Henry called, thinking they were headed to the restroom together.

But instead of following, Nn bpicked /bup Eliza’s workbook from her desk and flipped through it with detached curiosity.

“Heyb! /bThat’s her stuff–how can you just

Henry shut up the moment Nn gave him a look.

Right. My bad.

If Nn wanted to look bat /bsomething, he didn’t need permission.

He wasn’t exactly the polite type.

Nn studied the problem sets and notes carefully scribbled along the margins. After a few moments, he tossed the workbook back onto her desk without a word.

During PE.

The bwhole /bschool hade down for exercises.

bss /bSixb, /bas busual/bb, /bshuffled into ce at the very back

It was already fall, and the weather had turned chilly.

Eliza pulled her sleeves up over her wrists. With her ponytail bouncing and her smaller frame, she was quickly lost among the tall boys in the lineup

They naturally ran fasterb, /band Eliza had to push herself to keep up.

“Didn’t think you could run this well,”

Henry grinned, slowing his bpace /bto jog beside her.

As ss brep /bfor sports. Henry had top–tier stamina. He’d been nning to hold back for Eliza’s sake–but to his surprise, she bran /blike a pro

“It’s nothing. bI’ve /bjust done a lot of running.

In the past, Naomi often made sure to leave school just ahead of her–taking the family bcar /band leaving Eliza to walk home alone

Afraid of missing dinner, Eliza would ohen run all the way home.

Chapter 13 You–Run With Me

If she got home toote, Naomi would tell their parents she’d been out goofing off.

Belund them. Zayden–leading ss One–watched Elizaugh and btalk /bwith Henry

Something twisted in his chest.

Naomi noticed.

“Zayden, it looks like Eliza’s getting along with ss Six really well.”

Zayden’s brow furrowed slightly.

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“Right? She never acted like that with us, someone else added. “But bwith /bthose ss Six guys? Suddenly she’s Miss Social”

“Guess she just likes hanging with boys. Remember how hard she used to chase Zayden‘

“Ugh, talk about downward spiral. Eliza belongs with those lowlifes in ss Six. Just don’t bring that stink back to our ss”

out loud and clear.

Their sneers rang

Because ss One and ss Six were running close together, the mocking wasn’t hard to hear.

Henry heard every word.

He stopped running and turned around, eyes narrowed at the group behind them.

“bSay /bthat again. I dare you.”

With Henrying to a halt, the rest of ss Six followed suit.

Eliza immediately grabbed his arm. “Ignore them! Don’t start anything.”

“We? Eliza, you’ve been in ss Six for ba /bday, and it’s already we now?”

Zayden’s voice dripped with sarcasm, his eyes full of contempt.

Eliza frowned. “Zayden; don’t stir things up.”

Naomi put on her usual wounded act. “Eliza, why are you defending ss Six? Don’t forget–you’reing back to us eventuallyb./b”

Zayden’s voice turned colder. “So what if I aw stirring things up? Eliza, you chose to go to ss Six. You dragged your name- band /bours–through the mud.”

“Yeah, we must be cursed to have someone like you. Volunteering to go to ss Six? What, you think they’re better than us?”

ss One students balways /bthought highly of themselves.

Comparing them to ss Six was an insult.

b“/bEliza, stop hanging around these punks. They’re not bgood /bpeople.”

“You little-”

Henry raised a fist.

Eliza jumped in front of him.

If it escted, the punishment would definitely fall on ss Six–not ss One

“What now? Trying to start something?”

Colton and Lewis stepped forward.

Just the sight of them made some bss /bOne kids back off.

Chapter 13 You–Run With Me

Especially when Nn joined them.

The Nn

The ancho’d done time

Even Naomi mmed up, stealing a worried nce at Zayden.

Because the confrontation had stalled both groups, the PE teacher blew his whistle and jogged over.

“bMove /bit! What bare /byou all bstanding /baround for? Run!”

As the teacher approached, Henry pointed a finger bat /bZayden and the rest of ss One.

“Next time, don’t talk to us like you’re better than we are. Who the hell do you think byou /bare?”

Colton red at them. “Whoever was trashing ss Six–don’t run after school. I’ll find you.”

Then, turning back. Colton did something unexpected.

“He looked at Eliza. bYou/b. Run with me in bthe /bfront.”

Eliza blinked in confusion

Lewis smiled gently. Come with us. It’ll keep them from messing with you.”

Thanks.

Eliza moved forward with them. But as she passed Nn, he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Her skin prickled with goosebumps.

Nn bgave /bher a cold nce. You. Run with me.”

She had no choice but to fall in line beside him.

These tall guys each took two strides for every one of hers. At first, bshe /bbkept /bpace–but she bsoon /bstarted to struggle.

Nn must’ve noticed, because he gradually slowed down.

Only then could Eliza catch her breath.

“Why did you agree to switch tests?”

One sentence from Nn made her heart stop.

He knows?

Her breath hitched–and she nearly stumbled.