Reborn, She's Back for Revenge novel Chapter 24

The library windows sparkled, crystal clear. With the SATs looming, the study room was packed wall–to–wall every single day.

Larry sat under the harsh fluorescent lights, and every eye slid his way–especially the girls. After all, even the smartest girls have a secret pocket in their hearts–a quiet, aching wish for love.

A confident girl hugged her textbooks and approached him.

Larry’s face was icy, his voice distant. “This seat’s taken.”

The girl slunk back, deflated, and plopped down at a nearby table.

Not long after, Edith walked in. She spotted Larry quickly and slid into the chair next to him.

Instantly, Larry melted into a warm smile, his eyes locked only on her. “Edith. I rounded up these basic drills for you. Start with these, and holler if you get stuck,” he whispered, sliding a notebook her way.

Edith flipped it open. A faint whiff of fresh ink hit her–these notes were brand–new. Her chest felt warm. “Thanks,” she murmured.

She owed Larry a thank–you, in this life and the previous. She dug a gift box out of her bag and passed it over. “A little something to say thanks.”

Larry’s eyes sparkled as he eagerly grabbed the gift. He carefully unwrapped the box, handling it as if it were made of glass.

Peeling back cach layer, he discovered a pen inside. He popped off the cap, dipped it in ink, and scribbled a few lines on a scrap of paper.

“Thanks, Edith. I love this pen,” Larry smiled. “My Uncle Marcus has one just like it. He treats that thing like it’s some priceless artifact and never even let me breathe on it. Now I’ve got my own, and it’s way newer than his.”

Edah

if the lines he wrote and grinned. Good thing he liked it–meant she’d nailed the gift.

Then Edith settled in and started going through the notebook Larry’d given her. The problems were all basic stuff, not too tough.

After the first set of simple questions, there were modified ones—trickier, with more steps. Whenever she hit a snag, Larry broke it down for her, patient as could be.

The evening study session zoomed by. Edith started packing up, ready to head back to class.

Larry held out another notebook. “The state exam’s in two weeks, and it’s a big deal. I jotted down all the key points here. Go over it every night,” he said.

Edith paused. “Can I share these notes with others?”

Larry nodded. These were just the basics–he’d had them down for ages. Sharing them with others and helping more people learn was a good thing.

Edith returned to the classroom with her notebook. Every evening, they had two study hall sessions. During the first, she would study with Larry, and in the second, she’d catch up on classwork.

She sat down and set the notebook on Cathy’s desk. “The teacher said your math has been struggling. If you can bump that up, hitting 1,100 on the exam should be easy. Think this’ll help?”

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Chapter 24

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Ever since she’d traveled back in time, Cathy was the first person to show her genuine kindness. Eduh was more than ready to pay that back tenfold.

Cathy didn’t think much of the notebook. Her math was terrible, but Edith’s was even worse–she was still stuck on freshman–level stuff. Cathy didn’t believe the notebook would be of any help to her.

But she opened it anyway, to be polite. On the first page, in bold, smooth handwriting, was the name: Larry.

Cathy’s eyes went wide. “Wait, this is Larry’s notebook?”

Edith nodded. “He wrote down all the key exam points and listed some likely question types.”

“Edith, you’re a lifesaver!” Cathy exclaimed, her face brightening up as she gripped the notebook like a precious treasure. “I’m copying this right now. Gotta hit it hard.”

Larry was the top academic star of Sunspire High School. Tons of students wanted his notes, but no one could get their hands on them. Cathy couldn’t believe she’d landed his notebook.

Just as she reached for a pen, James, sitting in front of her, turned around, pushed up his glasses, and asked slowly, “Did I hear Larry’s name?”

Cathy froze awkwardly. She had no idea if Edith wanted to share, so she stayed quiet.

Without looking up, Edith said, “Anyone who’s shaky on math basics can use the notebook.” Larry wasn’t stingy, and neither was she. If everyone got better, that was a win.

James smiled subtly. “I’m solid on Engloria–let me compile the Engloria test points. I’ll have a notebook for you in three days, tops.”

Cathy jumped in. “My science isn’t half–bad. I’ll compile and summarize the key science exam points over the next couple of days.”

“Why don’t we start a study group?” James suggested. “We can swap strengths, fix our weak spots, and all level up together.”

“I’m in. Cathy shot her hand up. “Two weeks till the test. Let’s crush it this time.”

Edith bit her lip–her grades were trash, and she was basically freeloading off Larry. She cleared her throat and said, “Uh, my essays are okay. I can help you boost your writing scores.”

Watching the three of them form a study group, Hallie ground her teeth in anger. She was the top student in Class One, James was second, and Cathy was always third–so why hadn’t the two bothered to ask her to join?

“Hallie, your creep’s here again,” Noreen hissed in her ear. “It’s Thomas Hoffman from Class Three. Think he’s here with flowers, or gonna confess again?”

Hallie turned around and saw the tall, muscular Thomas standing by the doorway, staring inside. Instantly, her face soured.

She had rejected him countless times, yet he kept showing up every few days. And since she always maintained her polite demeanor in public, she couldn’t even make a scene to chase him off.

After hovering awkwardly by the door for a second, Thomas finally called out, “Edith, get out here!”

Noreen’s eyes bugged. “No way! Why’s he here for Edith?”

The rest of Class One stared in shock. Thomas had been showing up every other day to hit on Hallie, so everyone thought this would be no different. But now, it seemed he had a different target.

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8:19 pm DD

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Chapter 24

“Hallie faked that fall this morning for sympathy. I bet Thomas finally saw right through her act, somerne muttered. “Whatever Hallie’s done, the fact that Thomas suddenly switched his feelings is totally a dick move,” another said.

A third whispered, “Wait, did you see his face? He looked pissed. Bet he’s here to give Edith a hard time.”