Chapter 407 You Were My Joy 6
Ten minutes later, the car smoothly stopped at the gate of the courtyard. Hearing the sound, Danielle ran out eagerly. Mitchell opened the car door and got out, and Willow quickly opened her door, grabbed her backpack, and followed.
Seeing Mitchell, Danielle paused and greeted obediently, "Mitchell, you're back."
Mitchell nodded slightly, and the three of them walked into the house together. Mitchell stepped in front while the other two followed hand in hand, whispering to each other.
Danielle whispered in Willow's ear, "What's up with Mitchell? Why does he look so serious?"
"How would I know? I'm definitely going to get a lecture later, but there are no late-night snacks for me," Willow whispered back.
"I've already found a place, the barbecue joint from last time. And you didn't have dinner, right? Mitchell wouldn't stop you from eating." Danielle was still determined to go for a barbecue.
"Barbecue? Are you crazy? Mitchell clearly doesn't like us eating that stuff. If we say we're going for barbecue, we'll get a scolding." Willow thought Danielle must be out of her mind.
"Just don't tell him. He won't know what we're eating," Danielle said calmly.
At that moment, Mitchell suddenly turned around and asked, "What are you two talking about? Danielle, is there any food at home?"
Danielle immediately replied, "No, I'll take Willow out to eat, maybe a sandwich or some pasta."
Mitchell glanced at the two of them. Willow, feeling guilty, was about to say she wasn't hungry and didn't want to go. But Mitchell nodded slightly and said, "Alright, you two go ahead, but come back early. I'm heading to my room." With that, he walked upstairs.
Danielle was momentarily stunned, but after a moment, she snapped out of it, told Willow to put down her backpack, and quickly pulled her out the door.
Though they didn't know what Mitchell was thinking, eating was the priority.
Danielle pulled Willow straight to the barbecue joint. As soon as they sat down, they ordered a lot of food. Since it was quite late, the pedestrian street wasn't very crowded, but the barbecue joint was almost full. It had been two months since they last had a barbecue together, so Danielle had been craving the food from this place for a long time.
They each ordered a large bottle of ice-cold Coke and waited for the barbecue. Danielle started talking about college, and Willow listened longingly, as the senior year was really tough.
Danielle patted her shoulder. "I'll be waiting for you at A University."
Willow lowered her head, looking despondent. "I don't even know if I can get into A University."
"If you can't get in, who can? You've always been a top student," Danielle said loudly after taking a big gulp of Coke and burping.
"But I only ranked in the fifties in the last exam. With that ranking, there's no way I can get into A University," Willow said, feeling very sad and down about the recent exam.
"That was definitely a fluke; you were too nervous. That's not your true level." Danielle comforted her. "And since Mitchell is back, let him help you with your studies. You'll definitely be in the top five next time."
"I don't want Mitchell to tutor me," Willow said, feeling too embarrassed. She had expected Mitchell to make her bring out her test papers tonight, but she didn't expect him to let them go out to eat.
"Is this really about what you want?" Danielle exposed her, knowing that Mitchell would definitely take the initiative to arrange study sessions.
"Mitchell is so busy now. Maybe he doesn't have time to help me with my studies anymore. Tonight was really unusual," Willow said, munching on the barbecue that had just been served.
"He is acting a bit strange tonight. Could he be heartbroken? But I haven't seen him dating anyone," Danielle speculated while eating.
Willow paused for a moment at the thought of Mitchell dating. She thought, 'It makes sense; at his age, dating is normal.' However, the more she thought about it, the more downcast she felt, and she took a big gulp of ice-cold Coke.
Mitchell had yet to learn Danielle and Willow were discussing him. He was genuinely exhausted after working overtime for a week straight and finally had two days off. He knew Willow would be home from boarding school for the weekend, so he came back. As soon as he walked in, he heard Danielle on the phone with Willow, and even through the phone, he could hear her crying. It turned out she hadn't done well on her exams.
He had just put down his coat when he picked up his keys to go pick her up from school. While waiting for her to come out of the dorm, he bought a bag of her favorite snacks from a small shop near the school gate. By the time they got back, it was already past eleven. He was so tired that even though he guessed Danielle and Willow would go out for some unhealthy late-night snacks, he didn't say anything. He thought that Willow was in a bad mood and maybe eating something she liked would cheer her up. After going upstairs to his room, he fell asleep without even taking a shower.
Danielle and Willow didn't stay out long. After finishing the barbecue, they went back home. They were surprised to find the house quiet, and Danielle couldn't believe Mitchell was already asleep. He was always up late working on his computer. But it was good that he was sleeping; they both smelled like barbecue.
Danielle quickly pulled Willow to her room, took a shower, and made sure to throw their clothes into the washing machine. It was early morning by the time they lay down in bed.
Willow's mind was racing with thoughts about her studies, Mitchell, and what she would do if she didn't get into A University. She felt like a little girl in front of Mitchell. Seeing him leaning against the car, waiting for her at the school gate, made her feel like the distance between them was growing.
In the dark, Danielle suddenly said, "Willow, are you asleep?"
"Not yet."
"Why did Mitchell go to bed so early tonight? Did he seem off when he picked you up?" Danielle was genuinely concerned about Mitchell. Despite his strictness, he had always been good to her, and she understood it was for her good.
Willow thought carefully and said, "He seemed normal, just really tired."
"Then it's probably because work has kept him really busy," Danielle said, thinking about how long it had been since she had seen her other friends.
"Yes, that must be it." Willow agreed.
They chatted a bit more about new movies and songs before falling asleep.
The next day, both Willow and Danielle slept in. Willow got up first, and after washing up, she walked into the living room to find Mitchell already sitting at the dining table, which was spread with review materials, waiting for her.
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