Zoey didn't know that was his name and naturally beckoned him when her phone pinged with a message that her pizza had arrived.
"Come with me."
Kate shifted her eyes to Dylan's table, making sure she had their attention before turning back to Zoey and Austin.
However, the smile on her face immediately died when she found the seat vacant.
As she looked around the cafeteria, brows creased with worry, those seated with her hurriedly pulled her down.
"What are you doing? It's a taboo to even know that name."
"Yeah, what if those lunatics start bullying you because they think you know him?"
"We're graduating this year. We need a spotless record and no distractions."
Kate shifted in her seat and smiled forcefully, "Of course. I was just worried seeing Austin Cross with my sister and was going to chide him for sitting with her."
Instantly, they exhaled tiredly and leered at this 'love-sick' sister.
"She really sat with that loser instead of going through with the ritual, even with such a generous offer? What an ungrateful girl."
"She must be feeling smug since she's playing the role of Brielle Sloane."
"Playing Brielle Sloane is one thing, but if she wants to make it in the entertainment industry, she needs good grades and better social skills. Sitting with a loser like Austin will get her nowhere."
"Kate, she already made her choice when she turned your generous offer down. Help yourself and don't associate with her. Each man to his own, okay?"
Kate thinned her lips, a conflicting smile dancing across her face.
They instantly realized none of the things that happened today had truly registered with her and snorted.
"Listen to us when we say this—she's bad for you. You won't need her in the future."
"Yes, the Smith family may have gotten their biological daughter back, but as long as you show them the daughter they raised is better than the one they didn't, they'll know who their real future is."
Everything they said, Kate had already thought through and she knew it better than anyone.
But to keep up appearances, she fidgeted with her fingers and lowered her eyes thoughtfully.
The moment she lowered her head, a broad smile stretched across her face.
Outside, Zoey made Austin Cross show her where to collect her pizza.
As she paid for it, he held the protector and gazed at his savior with misty eyes.
When she caught him staring, she frowned and hugged the pizza box tightly.
"That look… it's not because you want my pizza, right?"
He grimaced, "I didn't eat dinner last night, and I left in a hurry this morning."
Her eyes fell to the box sadly. "So you do want my pizza."
After contemplating for a moment, she opened it and stared.
"I'm not usually like this, but I haven't had a decent meal in a day. And this pizza is fairly good. So eat like two slices. No—since you took a beating this morning, make it three. Three and a half."
Austin nodded and sat outside with her.
At the end, she ended up giving him seven out of the twelve slices, seeing how he ate like he hadn't eaten in days.
"Do they starve you at home?"
He nodded, unable to respond between mouthfuls.
"Same. I was an adored princess back home. Now I eat like a pauper."
Austin stopped chewing, realizing he didn't know anything about his new friend.
Swallowing, he stretched out his hand for a handshake. "I'm Austin Cross."
"Zoey Smith."
"Uh, you have the same last name as the top student in Class A. One would think you're siblings." He joked, taking a bite of the pizza, only to realize she was staring at him blankly.
"Don't tell me… Katherine Smith doesn't have a sister. I've known her since first grade."
Zoey chuckled and looked away, "You poor thing. You've been here so long yet have no idea. You must be getting bullied a lot."
Austin took a bite of the pizza and inched closer to her, "You're really her sister? No wonder you're so pretty!"
Zoey shrugged, "I have to be. I don't work out and eat a balanced diet for nothing."
A girl who knew her worth.
He stopped eating and looked her over.
She was still wearing the joggers from this morning, so he couldn't really see her figure.
"But if you're Kate's sister, why sit alone instead of joining her group? No one in her group ever fails a class. I'm sure you'd benefit a lot from joining them."
She glared at him instead of responding, "Since you've regained your energy after stealing my pizza, shouldn't you use that to prepare for Dylan-Whatever's minions?"
He shook his head in refusal, l"No, I give up. I know what to do now. After class today, I'll sneak out the second the bell rings."
"Good for you. At least you have something to live for."
Austin stared at her, surprised. What could a first-generation heiress possibly have going on to make such a statement?
Zoey excused herself to make a trip to the principal's office, where she got her uniform, books, and a locker key.
School ended at five in the evening, and most students headed off to cram school.
Zoey was outside three minutes later—only to see the license plate of the Smith family car speeding out of the school.
Of course. She'd been wrong not to expect Kate to strike back.
Oh, well. It had been a while since she walked anywhere. So, while the other students drove out in various cars, she walked.
Alden Leith glanced out the window as the car sped past a highschool building when he suddenly recognized the familiar frame of a girl in joggers.
"Where does this road lead to?"
Sebastian slowed and glanced to the side, "A train station. It's where delinquent kids go to smoke and drink."
Alden frowned.
Was she really serious about being a delinquent?
Even if she was, this seemed like the worst place for a girl like her to be.
Glancing at the time, he instructed Sebastian to follow her from a distance.
Unaware she was being followed, Zoey glanced down at the map on her phone, frowning.
Was this shortcut really going to lead her back to the Smith family house?
"So why did you see us at the cafeteria and run? Didn't we agree to be friends? Don't you know friends don't run from each other?"
"When you run from your friends, you make them feel bad. And if you make your friends feel bad, you get punished."
"Now lie on the ground and close your eyes. I'll try kicking this ball from your face. I haven't tried this before, so I might hit your face a few times before I hit the ball. Is that fine with you, my good friend Austin?"
Austin? The same Austin who ate her pizza earlier?
She scrunched up her nose and looked down at her chest.
This darn thing called conscience!
Turning off the screen of her phone, she turned and veered off toward the direction of the cackling laughter.