Chapter 1143: English Competition
"To deepen the development of quality education, enhance students' writing skills, ignite their interest in writing, foster a conducive atmosphere for reading and writing, and create a literary campus, we are organizing this essay competition."
"Participants need to submit one competition essay, not exceeding 3000 words. The style and title are open-ended, and the deadline is this Friday after school."
"The competition is divided into high school and junior high school categories, each featuring one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes, and several participation awards. The competition is organized by the Academic Affairs Office, with judges selected from the English Teaching and Research Office."
"The judging criteria require clear themes, positive and uplifting ideas, fluent language, vivid descriptions, coherent structure, and neat writing."
Inside Classroom 57, after Quentin finished reading the requirements of the essay competition, he smiled and said, "Well, these are all the instructions for the essay competition. If anyone needs further information, they can have the English class representative compile their questions and come to me. Kevin, come with me."
Kevin had been pondering about the essay competition when he heard Quentin calling him. He got up and went to the hallway, where Quentin greeted him warmly and patted his shoulder. "Kevin, make sure you participate in this essay competition wholeheartedly. Produce a substantial piece. Your English grades have always been excellent, especially in writing. You are on par with August from Class 55. This time, give it your best shot and aim to surpass August. Winning first place will bring rewards, and you might even get to participate in county and city-level competitions."
Noticing Quentin's unusually enthusiastic attitude, Kevin felt puzzled. Why was Quentin suddenly showing so much concern? He thought of ignoring him, but remembering Audrey's words at noon, he could only respond, "Mr. Rodriguez, I understand. I will write my best."
Quentin continued to talk to Kevin, expressing that any past misunderstandings should be let go. He assured Kevin that he wouldn't cause trouble for him. This made Kevin uneasy. He could handle Quentin being difficult, but the sudden change in attitude raised his suspicions. He wondered what Quentin was up to.
After evening self-study, Kevin walked Laura home before arriving at his doorstep and spotting a familiar figure - his cousin Audrey.
"Sis, why are you here?" Kevin was pleasantly surprised as he hurried over. Audrey had been staying at her own house these days. Although their relationship had improved, it still lacked the intimacy they once had. He regretted his past roughness towards his cousin and wondered if Audrey held any grudges against him.
Seeing Kevin's eager gaze, Audrey felt a pang of anxiety. It took her a lot of courage to come to Kevin. After the events of the afternoon, she realized how meaningless it was to remain distant from Kevin. Perhaps Vanessa's words were a test of her relationship with Kevin. So, after contemplating for a while at home, she decided to move back in. She couldn't afford to stay distant from Kevin any longer.
"I forgot to take some clothes. I came to pick them up," Audrey explained, avoiding the actual reason for her visit to Kevin.
Kevin unlocked the door and let Audrey in. The living room felt empty without Bethany around, making the atmosphere awkward. Neither of them spoke, the tension between them palpable.
"Kevin," after a while, Audrey broke the silence.
"Cousin?" Kevin looked towards her.
"Has Quentin bothered you again?"
"Not this time," Kevin replied, puzzled. "In fact, he's been quite encouraging, telling me to prepare well for the essay competition. It feels strange. He's completely switched his demeanor. Sis, do you think Quentin has some kind of hidden agenda?"
"No, not an agenda," Audrey shook her head helplessly, recounting David's words to her and Vanessa in the afternoon to Kevin. Since Kevin was the student most likely to win a prize in Class 57, lifting Kevin's performance would reflect positively on Quentin too.
"I see," Kevin suddenly realized. "So that's why Quentin is so proactive. It's related to his own interests. That cunning guy. I'm not participating in the competition. Why should I make it easy for him?"
"That's not an option,” Audrey frowned. While she understood the unfair advantage Quentin possessed, Kevin not participating would also be a loss for himself. Both sides would suffer, and there would be no benefit for Kevin. "This competition is crucial for you. You must participate and aim for the best results possible. Don't worry about Quentin."
"Alright," Kevin accepted his cousin's advice despite feeling uncomfortable.
The two fell into silence again. After a while, Audrey said, "I'll go tidy up my clothes. You get ready for bed."
"Sure thing, sis," Kevin hesitated before finally heading to the bathroom.
Audrey went to Bethany's bedroom and let out a deep sigh. She had come tonight to reconcile with Kevin but couldn't find the words to express herself. She had hoped Kevin would persuade her to stay, but his silence left her disappointed.
She spent half an hour sorting through a few articles of clothing in the wardrobe. As the minutes ticked by, and Kevin still hadn't appeared, Audrey felt a coldness in her heart. She secretly criticized him for not recognizing her gesture. She couldn't blatantly ask to stay herself; doing so would appear frivolous. She didn't want to be seen as a shameless and indecent woman in Kevin's eyes.
After organizing the clothes, Audrey made her way out of the bedroom, holding them. Kevin was nowhere to be found in the living room. She hesitated for a second, then moved to Kevin's bedroom door, contemplating giving him another chance. But Kevin wasn't there either.
Surprised, Audrey wondered where Kevin had gone at this hour. She called his name a few times, but there was no response. It seemed like she was alone in the house.
After waiting for a while, Audrey walked towards the yard with the clothes in hand, exhaling softly. She murmured to herself, "Idiot, when you were supposed to be here, you vanished. If you don't show up soon, I'll have to leave."
Suddenly, someone embraced her from behind, and a familiar voice rang out, "Sis, don't leave."
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