8
00
Chase Rivers‘ name spread through the
school like wildfire. Someone started a thread
on the forum, condemning the rumors about
the new student being hideously ugly. A side
profile picture of Chase was attached; he was
leaving the library, sunlight illuminating him.
[This is what you call ugly? 99.9% of the guys
here can’t compete!]
[So handsome!
]
[Whoa, only Noah from the finance
department could rival him. Why are all the
hot guys in finance?!]
[Anyone know if he has a girlfriend?]
Someone posted a picture of me bumping
into Chase at the class meeting.
[Forget it, he got a confession on his first day
<
and accepted.]
[She’s a classmate; you’re all too late!]
Love at first sight is unreliable, especially
since I always hung around Noah. Many
predicted our relationship wouldn’t last a
week. Some sneered,
“Chase is just using Ethan because she’s
pretty.”
“Let’s just wait for the breakup.”
I was immune to the negativity. I knew Chase
wouldn’t care either. We grew up together; we trusted each other completely.
I looked at him. He was holding my hand, standing outside a convenience store near the library, looking at the small trinkets like a
child.
“Ethan, remember these?” he asked. “When
<
we were at the orphanage, we treasured
these, right?”
We both laughed. We’d been inseparable
since the confession, going to classes, the
library, the cafeteria together. That’s why the
news spread so fast.
I leaned against his arm, looking at the small
stickers, stuffed animals, and a box of star
jars.
In the orphanage, we barely had any
caretakers. We had to take care of ourselves.
There were no birthday cakes, so Kai and I
would fold paper stars and make wishes.
“I hope we get into college!”
“I hope we make lots and lots of money!”
“I hope Kai and Ethan stay together forever!” Those days were simple but pure. Chase paid
<
the cashier.
“Can we get two rolls of colorful paper for
star–folding?”
9
