Chapter 11

High School...

With time, Valery fully recovered. She burned the midnight oil, working her butt off to stay ahead in most subjects- including the ones she did not fancy.

That was not the only thing she broke a sweat to maintain. Hiding her friendship with Leo was another hustle. He made it harder to handle each time he sent random notes to her class, demanding her presence.

She agreed to see him at every second recess and closing hours.

But it wasn't all bad; she did benefit from that enclosed environment.

Derrick lay on the lazy beanbag, throwing a ping-pong ball against the wall. He peeked behind intermittently, with a sour expression on his face. Valery had developed a new habit he found problematic. She preferred doing homework and studying to amusing him.

"You're getting noisy again," Valery said, her eyes still buried in an exercise book.

"Can't you do your homework when you get home?"

"Do you want me to leave?" Valery raised her head.

At least it got her to look at h