No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel Chapter 8

Just as Noelle was about to lose her temper, Xenia finally appeared. While running toward them, she called out, "I'm so sorry! I was discussing tournament strategies with the others and lost track of time."

"That's fine," Blake replied calmly. "At least you're contributing to the family, unlike certain ungrateful people."

Aiden smiled warmly at Xenia. "Don't worry. I'll drive faster to make up for it."

Despite his efforts, they still arrived late to school, where their homeroom teacher, Lionel Kramer, caught them at the classroom door. Xenia, breathing heavily, immediately spoke up. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault that we're late. I even held Noelle up."

Noelle remained silent, her face expressionless. Lionel glanced at both women before saying kindly to Xenia, "I understand. There is no need to explain further. Go ahead inside."

"Thank you," Xenia replied.

As Noelle tried to follow Xenia into the classroom, Lionel's voice turned harsh. He scolded, "Noelle, stop holding Xenia back. Don't let this happen again!"

Noelle turned back. "Xenia just admitted that it was her fault we were late."

"Enough! I know what you're really like. Keep arguing, and you'll spend class standing in the hallway."

Not wanting to miss any more lessons when she was already behind, Noelle entered the classroom silently, her mood darkening. She wished she could take her exams sooner and finally escape all of this.

A crowd gathered around Xenia during their lunch break as she shared stories about the professional gaming team. Everyone listened enviously.

One of her lackeys glared at Noelle and mocked, "Someone is just jealous of Xenia and deliberately made her late."

Xenia smiled faintly but did not bother correcting the person. Meanwhile, Noelle remained unfazed, resting her head on her desk and ignoring them all.

After school, Xenia deliberately provoked Noelle again, saying, "I'm heading to training again today."

Noelle simply packed her books and left the classroom without saying a single word. Xenia's face broke into a triumphant smile as she watched Noelle leave.

She turned to her minions and said, "Do my homework like usual, okay? And make sure the teachers don't notice."

They all assured her. "Don't worry about it. Train well and chase your dreams. We've got you covered."

"Thanks! I'll surely remember this!" Xenia left happily, determined to prove that she was the more worthy Liddell sister.

...

Noelle headed straight to the infirmary, where Cedric sat with an amused expression. "Do you need something?"

Noelle cleared her throat and replied, "I'm here to study. Please let me stay!"

Without waiting for an answer, she barged in like she belonged there, hoping he would not kick her out. Cedric raised a brow, surprised by her confidence. He had expected her to be too timid to return.

However, Cedric still did not hold back when Noelle asked him questions about her homework. "Can your brain retain any information at all? How many functioning brain cells do you have?

"Stop asking about simple problems and figure those out yourself."

Noelle accepted his harsh words without argument, diligently taking notes. The room was quiet—until her stomach growled loudly.

Her face turned red as she tried to hide her embarrassment. She had eaten a sandwich earlier, but it clearly was not enough.

Cedric glanced at the clock and ordered takeout. "Let's eat first."

As they sat together, Noelle noticed the scar on his wrist again. She could not help but ask, "When did you get in an accident? Was it bad?"

Cedric silently arranged the takeout boxes on the desk. He looked at Noelle, his gaze unreadable as he replied, "Many years ago."

Noelle muttered, "Me too. My parents died in the crash, leaving just me and my brothers."

Her lips curled into a faint, self-deprecating smile as memories surfaced. Back then, they had struggled, but their bond as siblings had been unshakable. However, everything changed when Xenia came into the picture.

"What are your plans now?" Cedric asked, gripping his spoon tightly.