Chapter Twelve
Trying to Belong
The next morning, Alice did something unexpected.
When Noah was arranging her books before class, Alice walked up to her desk.
"Your notes from yesterday… were clear," Alice said carefully.
Noah looked up, slightly surprised. "Oh. Thank you."
Alice hesitated. "Could I… study with you sometime?"
Jack, who was leaning back in his chair nearby, raised an eyebrow.
Noah smiled easily. "Sure. We usually study after school."
Clare looked up from her book. "You can join us."
Alice nodded.
Just like that.
It began.
At first, it felt normal.
Alice was polite.
She listened carefully when Noah explained things.
She asked Clare for help in French grammar.
She even tolerated Jack's teasing.
"You're too serious," Jack once told her.
"I prefer efficiency," Alice replied calmly.
Noah laughed. "You'll get used to him."
Slowly, she began walking with them.
Sitting with them.
Studying with them.
And for the first time in a long while—
Alice didn't study alone.
The next exam results were announced.
First — Noah
Second — Alice
Third — Jack
Fourth — Clare
The same as before.
Alice smiled politely this time.
But inside—
Why is it always her?
That evening, during group study, Jack leaned over Noah's shoulder.
"You're going to top forever, aren't you?"
Noah shrugged. "Maybe."
Alice watched the way they interacted.
The way Jack looked at Noah when she answered confidently.
The way Noah challenged him without fear.
The way Clare quietly balanced them both.
Something unfamiliar stirred inside Alice.
It wasn't just about ranks anymore.
It was about attention.
Jack debated loudly with Noah.
He rarely argued seriously with Alice.
He teased Noah more.
He listened to her more.
Alice noticed.
She told herself it was nothing.
But small things began to bother her.
When Jack waited for Noah before walking.
When Noah corrected Jack's mistakes with a smirk.
When Clare laughed at both of them like it was natural.
Alice walked beside them—
But sometimes felt outside the circle.
One afternoon, during a small classroom competition, Jack deliberately answered a question wrong just to annoy Noah.
"You did that on purpose," Noah accused.
"Maybe," Jack replied.
They argued playfully.
Alice watched silently.
Later, when they were walking home, Alice asked Jack quietly,
"Why do you compete with her so much?"
Jack shrugged. "It's fun."
"Only with her?" Alice asked.
Jack didn't notice the tone.
"She's the only one who keeps up."
Alice nodded slowly.
That sentence stayed with her all night.
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