Chapter 34
It turned out that Oliver wasn’t the only one returning–Nina was with him. They walked side by side, Nina chomping on a chicken drumstick, with another one in her hand.
Oliver, the epitome of sophistication, was now holding two greasy chicken drumsticks. The sight of shiny, golden drumsticks in their hands immediately drew everyone’s attention, especially from the hungry students around them.
“Whoa, chicken drumsticks! Do they really have to rub it in like that?”
“Ugh, I’m so jealous! I want a chicken drumstick too!”
“Oliver’s holding two but isn’t eating it–maybe he’s bringing them for someone?”
“Haha, what a good guy! He’s definitely bringing it for us!”
“Ha, dream on, buddy…”
The students buzzed with chatter, and Lynn eagerly shook Jessica’s shoulder. “Jessica, looks like Oliver has a heart after all! He must know you’ve been eating poorly, so he brought you some chicken drumsticks as a treat!”
Since Jessica had failed her fitness test, her meals had been much worse than the others. Over the past few days, she had barely seen any meat, let alone something as indulgent as a chicken drumstick.
It wasn’t hard to see why Jessica, despite her usual posh upbringing, was practically drooling over the sight of the drumsticks.
Though tempted, Jessica still tried to play it cool. “Lynn, stop jumping to conclusions. Maybe Oliver’s just holding them for himself. Let’s not make assumptions.”
“What do you mean ‘not make assumptions‘?” Lynn said, clearly unconvinced.
“Oliver’s from the Snee family, right? The heir to that prestigious family, trained by etiquette instructors. When has he ever been seen eating a chicken drumstick? If he wanted one, he’d eat it at the dinner table.
But now, he’s strolling around with these drumsticks. It’s obvious they’re for someone else. Just look at Nina–she has them too. They must’ve grabbed them from the officers‘ mess while they were there. Those drumsticks are for you, Jessica, no one else!”
Lynn’s words really struck a chord with Jessica. Deep down, she also believed the drumsticks were meant for her. After all, it had been so long since she’d seen Oliver, and surely, he would want to make amends.
He was too proud to apologize directly, but this seemed like his way of reaching out–offering her the chicken drumsticks as a peace offering.
As they were talking, Oliver and Nina rejoined the squad.
A few boys immediately surrounded them, eyes locked on the chicken drumsticks in Oliver’s hands. “Oliver, thanks for bringing the food! You’re a real bro, we won’t forget this!”
Just as they reached for the drumsticks, Oliver quickly pulled his hands away. “Hands off. Who said these are for you?”
The boys, confused, asked, “Huh? Who else could they be for? Are you planning to eat both?”
“Nope,” Oliver replied.
“Then who are they for?” someone asked, not letting up.
Before Oliver could respond, another student chimed in. “Are you all seriously that clueless? Oliver grabbed two drumsticks, but not for himself. Who do you think they’re for?”
A collective “ohhh” spread through the group, and all eyes turned to Jessica.
Everyone knew there had been rumors about Jessica and Oliver’s complicated relationship. Given that Jessica had been eating poorly, it seemed obvious that Oliver had brought the drumsticks for her.
Lynn, sensing an opportunity, grabbed Jessica’s hand and proudly walked over to Oliver. “Why is everyone so clueless? It’s obvious those drumsticks are for Jessica. Stop fighting over them!”
“Hey Oliver, Jessica can’t eat both these drumsticks. Mind if I snag the other one? It’s a win–win!”
With a grin, Lynn reached for the drumsticks, but before she could take one, Nina’s hand shot out, snatching it away.
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Chapter 34
Lynn froze. She turned to see Nina, in full view of everyone, biting into the chicken drumstick.
Nina shot her a bemused look. “What? These are mine, obviously.”
A gasp swept through the crowd.
Jessica’s smile faded, and Lynn’s face turned beet red. “Nina, what gives you the right to take Oliver’s food? He got it for Jessica, plain and simple!”
Nina rolled her eyes at Lynn. Taking another bite, she replied, “Are you serious? The mess staff gave me these drumsticks. I couldn’t carry them all, so I asked Oliver to grab two. Ask him if you don’t believe me.”
Lynn, stunned, turned to Oliver. “Oliver! Is this true?”
Oliver, surprised that something as trivial as a chicken drumstick had caused such a stir, glanced briefly at Jessica. Though she looked hurt, he couldn’t lie. He sighed and admitted, “Yeah, I grabbed them for Nina.”
The crowd erupted into murmurs.
“What? So the drumsticks weren’t for Jessica after all?”
“Wait, when did Oliver and Nina get so close?”
“Does this mean they’re actually… a thing?”
Lynn was fuming as she heard people talking. When she saw Jessica’s eyes all watery, she snapped at Nina. “Nina, that was a low blow!”
Nina, busy stuffing her face with a drumstick, looked up, completely confused. “What? Lynn, are you out of your mind?”
