Chapter 5: The Underdog Rises

Carter moved in with Nick. He really did study late into the night, and he was sharp—quick to grasp new concepts and great at teaching. Before long, they’d become close friends. The sight of Nick and Carter together in class was as shocking as seeing Wednesday Addams and Elle Woods become besties.

Autumn watched them, eyes full of suspicion.

During this time, she brought Nick breakfast every day—always his least favorite: hard-boiled eggs and milk. Chad always ended up eating it. He grinned slyly, “Bro, I think she likes you. She’s so pretty—why not give her a chance?”

Autumn shifted slightly closer. I was in control and felt conflicted. Nick, impatient: “Tell him to shut up!”

I raised my voice, making sure Autumn could hear. “Students shouldn’t date early. We should focus on studying.”

She flinched, pretending to read. That should put her off for now. But instead, she seemed more determined.

“Nick, can you help me with this problem?” She brought over her math workbook, smiling brightly. Feeling awkward, I explained the solution. She looked relieved, her smile more genuine.

“Thank you... Can I ask you for help again?” Her cheeks flushed as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

I was speechless. Nick was already getting annoyed. “I can barely keep up myself—no time to help her. Tell her no!” My head hurt just thinking about it.

Will snorted, “Autumn, you’re asking the bottom of the class for help?”

Autumn’s face turned cold. “What’s it to you?”

Will was left speechless, face sour. “Just trying to help. Don’t be ungrateful!”

Carter walked over with a test paper. I brightened and told Autumn, “He’s number one in the grade—ask him!”

Carter: ?

Autumn’s eyes shook, face pale. She glared at me through tears and ran out.

Me: ? Crap, should I go after her?

Chad egged me on, “Bro, hurry! What if something happens?”

I gritted my teeth and chased after her, glaring at the clueless Carter. The whole class started jeering.

Nick’s voice trembled with anger: “If you chase after her, people will talk about me forever!”

I was mad too: “What else am I supposed to do if something happens?”

Autumn ran to the grove and crouched down, crying. In the book, she often met Carter here for dates. I handed her a tissue. “Here.”

She paused, then cried even harder.

Me: “......”

Nick grumbled, “Her crying is giving me a headache. Can you make her stop?”

I sighed, softened my tone, and decided to come clean. “Autumn, I know how you feel, but I’m not looking to date right now.”

She looked up, eyes full of tears. “Then what do you want?”

I answered firmly, “My goal is to get into Stanford!”

She stared at me, forgetting to cry. I added, “Sorry, I can’t return your feelings. Let’s go back.”

She bit her lip, voice trembling. “Why...are you and Carter so close now? Don’t you hate him?”

What kind of plot twist was this? The heroine liked the second lead and hated the main one!

I brushed her off and left. She shouted after me, “I won’t give up!” I sprinted away like I was being chased by a ghost.

Back at the school building, I found Carter waiting for me by the stairs. He looked at me quietly, as if seeing through my soul. I got nervous. “What are you looking at?”

He smiled slightly, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye shining in the sunlight. I was stunned. “Wow, he’s so handsome!”

Nick’s smile faded. He pushed Carter’s face aside. “You’re blocking my view. Move.”

Carter: “......”

Nick huffed, “You’re blind.”

Me: ?

He and Nick: !!!

He casually dropped a bombshell. We both froze, terrified he’d send us to a lab for research.

Carter’s voice was calm but oddly reassuring. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. But...” He looked at me, smiling mysteriously. “You two are nothing alike.”

Me: “......”

Nick: “......”

I cleared my throat, acting mysterious. “Actually, I’m Abraham Lincoln. Help me get into Stanford, and I’ll make you a general!”

Carter: “......”

Nick: “Nutcase.”

This school had endless tests. Thanks to his hard work, Nick’s grades soared. Sometimes I wrote for him, but only when he dictated the answers.

His effort was obvious to teachers and classmates alike. But some people were convinced he was cheating.

Will stormed up after seeing the rankings. “You must be cheating—no one jumps a hundred spots in just two weeks!”

Other jealous boys chimed in. “Must be nice to have money—us poor kids are just stepping stones.” “Yeah, if he can study, pigs can fly!” “Hahaha...”

Nick’s face darkened, veins popping on his hand. I knew he was barely holding back from punching someone.

Carter came over, face icy. “While others are burning the midnight oil, you’re just goofing off. When someone passes you, you get all bitter. You think you’re special just because you can talk trash?”

Chad slammed the desk, eyes blazing. “Didn’t you see Bro’s dark circles? He’s obviously been up all night studying! Unlike you losers—just a bunch of trash!”

Will and the others turned green. Everyone else looked at them with disdain.

Nick exhaled slowly, voice calm. “Will, let’s settle this at finals.”

Will’s face was ashen, his test paper shredded in his fist.

Only Carter and I knew how hard Nick worked. He often woke up in the middle of the night to review mistakes from the day before.

I urged him to balance work and rest. He was dead serious: “No, I have to get into Stanford!”

I worried he was obsessed, so I tried to ease the pressure. Nick’s voice was calm, but his words hit me hard. “Maybe if I get into Stanford, you won’t disappear.”

I was stunned. So that’s why he was so determined. I was touched. “Harvard would work too!”

Nick: ?

After that, Will got obsessed too, going all out to compete with Nick. He even skipped lunch, gnawing on plain bread in the classroom, eyes ringed with exhaustion.

Nick’s voice grew serious. “No, I have to work even harder!”

I talked him down, convincing him not to pull all-nighters. The body wasn’t made of steel—only with proper rest could he do well in school.

Carter made him a personalized study schedule. Nick followed it, balancing study and rest, and his scores kept climbing.

354...420...501...620...678...

The homeroom teacher and others were thrilled, praising him constantly. Classmates went from shocked to numb.

One thing was clear—Nick’s progress lit a fire under everyone. The study vibe in class got intense.

Autumn stopped bothering him, mostly watching from afar.

Finals crept up amid the tense studying. Will looked exhausted, barely able to walk straight. In contrast, Nick had adapted to the schedule and was full of energy.

On the way to the exam, Will bumped into him, saw how lively he looked, and practically fled.

I mused, “I control my own fate!”

Nick smiled, calmly watching two sparrows outside the window. When the exam bell rang, he put down his pen. I could sense his calm confidence.

Carter waited for him in the hallway. “How’d it go?”

Nick stretched, full of swagger. “Too easy.”

Carter smirked, his eyes sparkling. I was stunned. “Wow, so handsome!”

Nick’s smile faded. He pushed Carter’s face aside. “You’re blocking my view. Move.”

Carter: “......”

Nick huffed, “You’re blind.”

Me: ?

Final results came out—Nick was third in the grade with 698 points. Carter still held the top spot.

The homeroom teacher strode in, beaming. “This time, our class average is the highest ever!”

The class cheered. He looked at Nick, eyes full of pride. “Everyone should learn from Nick Shepherd. In just one semester, he went from last place to third. His effort is plain to see! Nick, come say a few words!”

Carter led the applause, grinning mischievously. I egged him on, urging him to go up.

Blushing, Nick stiffly walked to the podium. Seeing the encouraging looks, he relaxed, took a deep breath. “I don’t have any secrets—just hard work. It’s never too late to try. I’m living proof.”

Thunderous applause filled the room. Autumn stared at him in a daze. Those who’d mocked him blushed, unable to meet his eyes. Will clutched his report card, face white as a sheet.

After class, Chad stood tall in front of Will, waving his own scores, as proud as if he’d gotten third himself. “Well? Time to pay up on the bet, right?”

Will had bombed, falling out of the top ten. He looked devastated, surrounded by jeers.

“You were the one who made the bet—don’t back out now.” Others piled on: “Yeah, Will always picked on Nick, wanted him to drop out. Guess who’s leaving now!” “Haha, stop, he’s about to cry!”

Will kept his head down, tears soaking his report card. Nick waved everyone off, frowning. “Go home. What’s there to see?”

His bad-boy rep still scared people, and they quickly dispersed. He looked at Will, voice complicated. “Forget it this time. Don’t overthink it. The entrance exams are what matter.”

I was surprised. Will suddenly looked up, tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry...”

Chad was still annoyed, but the others dragged him away.

On the way home, I asked Nick, “Don’t you hate Will?”

He watched the sunset, voice flat. “I used to. I wanted to beat him and see him cry. But now, it doesn’t mean much.”

I was shocked. “How did a softie like you become the school’s bad boy?”

He bristled, embarrassed. “I never bullied anyone!”

True—he was practically the school’s anti-bullying ambassador. He once caught someone being bullied in the bathroom and dunked the bully’s head in the sink. That’s how he got his tough-guy reputation.