Chapter 5 Hurry Back To Class

• After much prattling, the official commencement of the pep rally began.
• Under Stanley's guidance, the students made their pledges with great fervor and grandeur.
• Mitchell, standing behind Chauncey and driven by curiosity, gave his shoulder a light tap.
• “Chauncey, was that rose really meant for Stanley?”
• He had always thought it was meant for Roxanne, and this assumption even made him worry for Chauncey.
• Did I guess wrong?
• The students were arranged in an interspersed formation.
• There were two groups of boys and two groups of girls in one class.
• Chauncey and Mitchell were in Class 2, conveniently positioned next to the spot where the girls from Class 3 were.
• And there stood Roxanne.
• Upon hearing those words, she stopped reciting the pledge and tilted her head, eager to catch Chauncey's response.
• This wasn't the first time Chauncey had confessed his feelings to her.
• Yet, it was the strangest one.
• The flowers were clearly meant for me, so how did they end up with Zeller Menace?
• Was it a stopgap measure from Chauncey?
• He must have come up with that excuse on the spot out of fear of being scolded by Mr. Zeller...
• “Of course. Why would I lie in front of such a large crowd?”
• That shattered Roxanne's hopes.
• In disbelief, she turned her head to look at Chauncey.
• What does he mean?
• Was that flower not meant for me?
• He didn't plan to confess his feelings to me today?
• How is that possible?
• Since they started high school, Chauncey had nearly confessed his feelings once a month. By senior year, it was a weekly occurrence.
• His last confession was two weeks ago. She believed he was preparing for a grand confession at the pep rally, so why did he suddenly stop confessing his feelings?
• Mitchell was also completely baffled.
• He couldn't help but step forward, touching Chauncey's forehead.
• “You don't have a fever.”
• “Get lost! If you want a scolding, don't involve me,” Chauncey playfully cursed.
• “Hey, Class 2, take your pledge seriously. If I catch you whispering again, I'll deduct honor points from your class.” Stanley's voice rang out.
• Mitchell quickly returned to his original position and promptly recited the pledge.
• The Hundred-Day Countdown Pep Rally ended with the enthusiastic cheers of a thousand students.
• Then, there was a ten-minute period for free activities before it was time for class.
• Chauncey recalled that it was during that particular lesson when Natalie was introduced to the class and ended up sitting right next to him.
• He turned around and headed toward the classroom.
• He didn't want to miss out again on a girl who had adored him for many years and was willing to sacrifice her love for him.
• “Hey, Chauncey, wait up.” Mitchell quickly stepped forward, draping his arm around his neck.
• Then, in a low voice, he said, “Roxanne is right behind us. Slow down a bit.”
• “What for?”
• Mitchell looked at Chauncey in disbelief.
• “You're not serious, are you? Aren't you going to wait for her and walk together?”
• Chauncey used to do so quite often in the past.
• Every time he spotted Roxanne nearby, he would always try his best to orchestrate a chance encounter.
• Even if he wasn't close by, he would strive to be.
• As Chauncey's best friend, Mitchell would often cover for him.
• Chauncey shook his head. “No, thank you.”
• “But you used to—”
• “That was in the past. We should head back for class now, Big Mitch.”
• “Huh? But Roxanne—”
• Chauncey slapped him on the back of his head.
• “Let's go!”
• Roxanne looked at his retreating figure, biting her lower lip.
• “Roxanne, what's wrong? Oh, isn't that Chauncey? Why didn't he wait for you?”
• Her best friend, Wendy Leedon, wore a puzzled expression.
• In the past, Chauncey had gone out of his way to “accidentally” run into Roxanne, leading to many amusing encounters.
• His poor acting was so cringe-worthy that it made viewers curl their toes and laugh about him during their leisurely post-meal chats.
• It was common knowledge among the seniors that Chauncey had a thing for Roxanne.
• “Nothing. Let's hurry back to class too.”
• Roxanne gave a dry laugh, then gently clasped onto Wendy's arm.
• On her way back to the classroom, she found herself glancing, deliberately yet subtly, in Chauncey's direction.