The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 67

Charlotte stood off to the side, her right foot pressed against the wall. The crisp black and white of her uniform made her look even slimmer, her pale skin almost glowing under the hallway lights. Her hair was long and dark and fell softly over her shoulders. She wore an old, faded backpack slung across her body, and her eyes—clear and cool—were locked on Shirley.

Shirley let out a startled yelp and scrambled to her feet. “Charlotte!”

Charlotte glanced at the laptop screen, where the school forum had already exploded with hundreds of new messages. Most of them trashed her, calling her arrogant and just waiting for her to fail. The rest were going after Shirley.

“Charlotte, I... I believe in you,” Shirley said, voice trembling, eyes shining with sincerity as she stepped closer. “You can totally get second place. Don’t listen to what they’re saying online.”

Charlotte just smiled, calm and unaffected. “Actually, I came here to ask you for a favor.”

“Huh?” Shirley blinked, completely lost.

She stared at Charlotte, cheeks turning pink. “Is... is there something I can help with?” Honestly, all she was good at was studying.

“I’ve been looking for a physics tutor. I want you to help me,” Charlotte said, pulling a stack of cash from her bag and holding it out. “Tutors outside charge five hundred per session, and I’ll probably need a few. Since we’re friends, how about a discount? One thousand for however many lessons it takes. Sound good?”

Shirley froze, not sure if she’d heard right. Charlotte wanted her to tutor physics?

“But... aren’t you worried I’ll mess up? My physics grades are always at the bottom...”

“Do you want to help or not?” Charlotte cut her off, raising an eyebrow.

Seriously, as if someone who’d won a national physics competition would ever rank at the bottom of their class. Shirley probably just kept her head down and tanked her scores to avoid attention because of all the bullying.

“I’ll do it!” Shirley nodded hard and quickly tried to give the money back. “You said we’re friends. I can’t take your money.”

“Even between friends, things should be clear.” Charlotte pressed the money back into her hands. “If you don’t take it, I’ll have to find a regular tutor, and at five hundred a session, I can’t afford it. With you, a thousand gets me way more lessons. I’m the one getting the better end of the deal.”

Shirley just stared, still trying to process. Did it really work out that way?

“But—”

Charlotte shot her a look that instantly made Shirley clam up.

“Then... I’ll do my best. I’ll teach you everything I know,” Shirley promised, a little flustered but determined.

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