"Close enough," Iris Kensington sighed wistfully. "The love story of two top students... It's enough to make anyone jealous."
Holly Winslow let out a chuckle. "You're so dramatic, Ellie."
Anna Willow laughed too, hugging Holly Winslow's arm tightly. "We'll be counting on you from now on."
The three of them chatted late into the night.
...
During the final month, the pressure of studying for the exams was immense. In the middle of an afternoon self-study session, while the entire class was buried in practice tests, Claire Langley, who sat in the second row, suddenly slumped over her desk and began to cry.
Everyone in the classroom looked over, unsure of what was happening.
Eventually, the class president went to the office to get Gabe Chaucer. Gabe took Claire Langley to his office to console her. He soon found out that her parents' expectations were crushing her—they were demanding that she get into a top-tier university.
