He didn't understand where that girl got her confidence and arrogance from; didn't she realize she was living under someone else's roof?
Clearly down and out, about to sleep on the streets, would it have been so hard to just call him 'Third Brother' and ask for his help?
She actually dared to sleep with her backpack in a bar; did she think she was a cat with nine lives? Wasn't she afraid she'd die without knowing whose hands she fell into at such a public place?
If he had known this earlier, he shouldn't have rescued her tonight at all. Let her die quietly with her poor pride; maybe that would have been a good choice for her, at least she could reunite with her mother.
Liam Spencer thought like this, but the unease in his heart didn't lessen, and his tightly furrowed brows didn't relax.
The phone he was holding finally got dialed.
"Principal Woods, arrange a dormitory for Maya Spencer, call her, and ask her to return to her dorm immediately."
For Maya Spencer, although the school wasn't the safest place, it was much safer than bars and hotels.
When Maya received the teacher's call, she didn't say much, grabbed her backpack, and headed to school, thankfully she still had some bus fare.
On the bus, there were plenty of empty seats, but Maya held onto her backpack, leaning against the safety handrail. Her strange behavior caught the attention of the few passengers who were sneaking glances at her.
"Maya, where are you now? I'm already at the bar." Maya lazily answered the phone, hearing Henry Reid almost exploding.
She furrowed her brows lightly, indicating that Henry was too noisy, and said, "Go home! I'm back at school."
"Maya, wait for me at the school gate, I'll be there soon."
Maya hung up Henry Reid's call, and as soon as the bus arrived at the school station, she didn't wait for him at the gate and instead headed straight inside the school.
Because the school leadership had given her notice, the security guards didn't trouble her and let her in. At the dormitory entrance, she smoothly got the dorm key and headed upstairs.
When Liam Spencer notified the principal by phone, it was already dawn, so the leadership had to temporarily arrange a four-person dorm for her with an empty bed for her.
As Maya opened the dorm door, a girl's impatient voice came from inside, shouting, "Turning on the light this late at night, are you dead?!"
Maya ignored the girl's words and quietly walked to her ivory-white single bed. The bedding was fully equipped, but she had thrown away her suitcase, having no change of clothes or toiletries.
Today she had been rolling on the grass, sleeping in a bar, wanting to wash herself thoroughly before sleeping, but the conditions didn't allow it.
"Maya, come here." While Maya was worrying, the girl on the bed by the balcony suddenly got up, quickly headed to the washroom, and waved for Maya to follow.
Maya looked at the girl's warm smile, unknowingly walking into the washroom.
Then, the girl pointed to a small basket on the sink, saying, "Towels and toothbrushes are in there, the pajamas in the wardrobe are washed clean and never worn by me. After washing, throw your clothes in the washing machine, and they'll be dry soon. You can wear them tomorrow morning."
In her first year at school, it was the first time Maya was moved, her eyes suddenly red.
At school, she was considered unlucky, everyone avoided her, even if they sympathized, no one dared to offer help.
Looking at the girl in front of her, Maya was at a loss for words, standing dumbly, not knowing how to respond.
The girl seeing Maya's dazed look, patted her arm and said, "Maya, it's too late now, the hot water is certainly out, boil some water in the kettle, wash quickly and get some rest, there's a big class tomorrow."
"Thank you!" It's almost the first time in Maya's life she said thank you to someone else, surprising herself almost to the point of being shocked.
The girl listening to Maya say thank you, paused at the door, turned around with a smile, and said, "It's nothing, rest early." With that, she closed the bathroom door for Maya.
In the bathroom, thinking of the girl's smile, Maya felt warmth in her heart; it was the first time she felt warmth from someone other than her mother.
Wanting to sleep quickly, Maya rinsed off with cold water without boiling any water. In the mirror, she saw the bruise on her backside from Aunt Hannah's beating that morning had improved a lot. Only then did she remember Henry Reid might still be at the school gate.
When she blow-dried her hair and returned to the bedroom, her phone was flashing. She swiped it open to see a message from Henry Reid.
[Maya, I bought you snacks and toiletries, left them at your dorm door, remember to bring them in.]
Then, Maya got up from the bed, carefully opened the dorm room door, and moved Henry's box from the door inside.
Opening the box, Maya found not only new clothes, new shoes, and snacks inside, but also sanitary pads bought by Henry.
Maya picked up the sanitary pads from the box, helplessly smiling her brightest, most beautiful smile.
The girl two beds away from her, seeing Maya's smile under the dim light, also smiled brightly and beautifully, thinking, "So, Maya can smile! She's really pretty."
Early the next morning, when the other two girls in the dorm woke up, they almost went crazy seeing Maya on the previously empty bed.
From the moment they opened their eyes, they didn't stop complaining, worrying if this jinx would drag them into trouble and attract Elia Spencer's ire.
When Maya was woken by their noise, she felt only a headache, pulling the quilt over her head and choosing to ignore them.
The girl who helped Maya last night didn't say a word but listened to their complaints silently. After the two girls left the dorm, she sat next to Maya's bed, tugged on her quilt, and said,
"Maya, they're gone, you can get up now. If you sleep in any longer, you'll be late for class!"
"Maya, Maya!"
The girl shook Maya a few times, but she still didn't move, so she pulled open her quilt and patted her little face.
When her hand touched Maya's face, she was surprised, immediately shaking her and nervously saying, "Maya, you have a fever, you're burning hot."
Maya, startled by the girl's panic, waved her hand and said, "Yeah, I've got a bad headache and need to rest, please help me take a sick leave."
"You rest well, I'll buy medicine for you later."
In the morning at the principal's office, Maya's teacher nervously stood in front of Liam Spencer's desk, gingerly saying, "Principal, Maya is sick today and has taken sick leave."
"Haha! Sick leave!"
Clearly, Liam Spencer didn't believe this excuse; yesterday she was full of spirit when chopping off others' hands, how could she be sick? She was avoiding her reflection and speech deliberately.
The more she avoided it, the more he wanted to pull her out and see how much backbone she had, so he said, "Go to her dorm and do a room check."