Chapter 175 Character Must Withstand the Test
Then, with Katniss's hand in his, he made a beeline for the supermarket. "I'll go with you."
Walking ahead, his fingers laced with hers, his jaw was set tight.
But he seemed pretty stoked to spend a bit more time with Katniss.
It only took five minutes to get in and out of the supermarket. After grabbing breakfast from the car, Katniss was ready to head out.
Tristan's mood was all over the place, like a roller coaster.
Katniss got back to the hospital building and glanced back to see him still standing by the car.
The breakfast made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and she was still smiling when she got back to the ward.
Putting the breakfast on the coffee table, Matilda took one look and knew it was bought from outside.
And it was from far away; it was obvious how it got there.
Aaron was already up, and Katniss handed him the toiletries. "Go freshen up, then come back to eat."
"Okay." Aaron took the stuff and went into the bathroom, the sound of water running.
Matilda sat down by the coffee table and whispered to Katniss, "What's up with this kid?"
Her voice was almost a whisper.
"Just a rebellious phase. I'll talk to him later and send him back." Katniss figured it was time to have a good talk with Aaron.
Matilda quickly finished eating and then went to wash some fruit.
Katniss also finished eating, leaving Aaron to eat.
"Did Tristan bring this?" He swallowed the food in his mouth and took the chance to ask Katniss.
Katniss, who was messing with her phone, heard him clearly and quickly put her phone down. "Yeah."
"Come on, no need to lie to me. He knows I'm here, right?" Aaron had already pieced it together.
And he also noticed, "Are you and Tristan dating?"
Katniss didn't know how to answer. Her mouth twitched as she looked at him.
"You adults, always hiding stuff, it's so boring." Aaron snorted, put down the utensils, and tossed the trash into the bin.
"But it's better than Eudora's shallow taste." Seeing him bring up Eudora, Katniss took the chance to start questioning. "Tell me, why did you run away from home?"
Matilda came in, saw the two talking, quickly put down the fruit, and found an excuse to leave.
Sophia was still sleeping, and it was just the two of them in the ward. Aaron lay on the couch, lazily looking out the window.
After a while, he said, "She wanted to change tutor. I disagreed, and we argued."
"I don't care if she wants to change tutor. I just want to know if you want to study again and seize this opportunity." Katniss asked pointedly.
Aaron's throat tightened, and he turned to glare at her. "Of course I do, but the thing is..."
"No 'but'." Katniss cut him off. "You only get one shot at life, and your fate is in your own hands. A lot of people have to deal with the cards they're dealt. You still have a chance. Don't let anything or anyone stop you from taking it."
Aaron got it.
He was pissed because he wanted to break free from Eudora's grip.
"I don't know all the details between you and your sister, but I've heard some stuff. You two aren't exactly close. But at your age, breaking free from her control is tough. That doesn't mean it always will be. Work hard, get stronger, and when you grow up, you won't have to listen to her anymore," Katniss said.
Eudora had blown up when she saw Aaron's test results, and the words she threw at him were brutal, especially for Aaron. So Katniss got why he resented her.
She wasn't trying to drive a wedge between them; she just knew Aaron needed the right approach in his rebellious phase.
She could see that Aaron was a good kid who'd be very capable when he grew up.
A few words from her made Aaron feel better, eager to become stronger than Eudora.
"Of course, I'll focus on tomorrow's election. Maybe I'll still be your tutor, and then your argument with your sister would be for nothing," Katniss said honestly.
But Aaron scoffed, "You probably don't know Eudora well. If she doesn't like you, she won't give you a chance to win, no matter how strong you are!"
Hearing this, Katniss felt a bit nervous. She wasn't sure if Eudora liked her.
However, regarding Aaron's education, she had significant differences from Eudora.
"Don't worry about that stuff. No matter who she replaces, I'll study hard. It's just half a year, and then I'll be in high school." He was confident in his abilities, and Eudora wouldn't have a chance to interfere in the future.
Hearing this, Katniss smiled with relief.
"Stop smiling and call Tristan to come back and pick me up. Don't let Eudora come!" Her smile embarrassed Aaron.
"Alright, see you at the election tomorrow." Katniss immediately called Tristan to pick Aaron up.
She used her Saturday to prep for the election.
In the evening, she brought up the idea of moving to Matilda.
Matilda handed her a card without a second thought. "This is the money I've saved up this year. It's not a lot, but it's not a little either."
"I've got money. Keep yours for yourself. You might need it if you start dating and want to buy some new clothes or something," Katniss said.
This past year at the educational institution, Matilda's salary was regularly deposited into her account.
Katniss covered her daily expenses separately, so Matilda didn't need to spend her own money and had saved quite a bit.
Katniss didn't have a ton of money, but it was enough to buy a three-bedroom apartment in Nightfall City.
However, buying a bigger place would be tough, so she was still debating what kind of house to get.
"What dating? I haven't met any decent guys around me." Matilda put the card away again.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes had a hint of sadness.
Katniss knew where her sadness came from and took a deep breath. "Once Mom recovers, let's go back to Velvet City."
Matilda's body stiffened, and she pressed her lips together without speaking.
"You can't force feelings. It'll take at least a year to get back to Velvet City. No one knows what will happen, so sometimes you have to fight for what you want," Katniss said.
What if, after a year, when they return to Velvet City, George already has someone by his side?
It might be better not to go back and avoid unnecessary heartache.
This time, George's brief visit had changed Matilda significantly.
She often seemed lost in thought.
But Katniss knew that George had been messaging Matilda frequently.
"Think it over. I can't help you much with this; you have to decide for yourself." Katniss paused, leaving the unspoken words hanging in the air.
That night, she went to bed early.
The election was at eight in the morning, and Tristan arrived promptly at seven to pick her up.
The location was in an office building downtown, a place Eudora had temporarily arranged.
After all, this election wasn't just for a tutor; educational media were also there to interview and document the process.
About twenty tutors were participating in the election, and Katniss was among the younger ones.
She kept a certain distance from Tristan as they entered the office building. After getting out of the elevator, they entered the prepared room one after the other.
A red carpet was laid out, leading straight to a long table on the stage.
Below were many neatly arranged black chairs, with quite a few tutors already in place waiting.
Eudora wore a black dress, her wavy hair adding a touch of both sexiness and elegance.
She exuded a confident radiance, raising an eyebrow and smiling at Katniss when she saw her.
That look seemed to tell Katniss that she knew about Katniss and Tristan's relationship!
Katniss responded with a polite smile and then found her seat.
Tristan went on stage and sat next to Aaron, scanning the room before his gaze landed directly on Katniss.
But Katniss didn't look at him, keeping her head down as if studying something.
"Tristan, won't your presence affect Ms. Grey's performance?" Aaron teased quietly.
Tristan shot him a sharp look. "What do you know, kid?"
Aaron scoffed, "More than you think."
Their voices were very low, but their conversation reached Eudora's ears. She nudged Aaron's arm. "Kids shouldn't interfere in these matters, but for Tristan's sake, I'll try to keep Ms. Grey as your tutor."
Her words surprised Aaron a bit. "Ms. Grey will win on her own merits; she doesn't need your 'try.'"
Eudora rolled her eyes at him and continued greeting the people entering.
Ten minutes later, everyone was present.
They were given a set of teacher-specific exam papers aimed at middle school students.
The questions weren't difficult for these tutors, but their task was not to answer them but to explain them to students in the simplest and most understandable way.
If they hadn't practiced certain types of questions beforehand, they might lose to those who had prepared.
The middle school curriculum was assessed over two exam papers, each with a three-hour time limit.
There was a ten-minute break in between, but almost no one moved and continued working on the papers.
Three hours later, the exam ended.
The education department had professionals come to evaluate their papers, which took another hour.
Katniss's slender, clean fingers held a carbon pen, her pale fingertips revealing her nervousness.
Her gaze suddenly met Tristan's deep eyes. Tristan raised an eyebrow, his lips curling slightly.
She calmly looked away, waiting for the results.
After evaluating the papers, the professionals finally selected two equally qualified ones: Katniss's and one by a senior female tutor named Imogen Fairfax, who was five or six years older.
"Both of these candidates are highly qualified. The final choice is up to Miss Savoy or Aaron," the professionals said.
Aaron couldn't hold back and raised his hand. "I choose Ms. Grey!"
As soon as he spoke, Imogen's face darkened. "Wait, I believe that a qualified tutor needs more than just ability; their character must also stand up to scrutiny!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
