Chapter 3I Think My Deskmate Has a Secret

"Arthur, I really don't understand this calculus problem. Could you help me with it?"

The girl speaking was Chloe, the captain of the debate team. She was delicate and pretty, like a daffodil.

She stood next to Arthur, placing her textbook on his desk, her voice laced with manufactured shyness.

Arthur slowly lifted his eyes, his gaze freezing cold. "I don't know how to do it."

That was a blatant, bald-faced lie. He got a perfect score on every single math test. I had never seen his grade fluctuate.

The smile on Chloe's face stiffened.

"Oh... okay, then."

I watched her maintain her smile and tactfully walk away.

Based on the look in her eyes, I guessed she wouldn't give up that easily.

Sure enough, during P.E. class that afternoon, I saw her approach Arthur, who was resting under the shade of an oak tree, and hand him a bottle of water.

"Arthur, you must be thirsty. Have some water."

"I'm not thirsty."

Arthur rejected her flat out. He then reached down, picked up his own water bottle from the grass, twisted the cap off, and took a drink.

I saw Chloe clench her fists tightly behind her back.

"That's okay. I'll just leave it here. You can drink it later if you want." Chloe maintained her perfect, polite smile and walked away.

The cool breeze under the tree rustled Arthur's dark hair, brushing it away from his forehead. His profile looked like it was carved from marble.

At an age where he should be full of youthful energy, his eyes were clouded with a heavy, suffocating darkness.

He looked lifeless.

Suddenly, he turned his head and caught me staring.

I casually looked away, staring blankly at the clouds in the sky, acting like nothing had happened.