"Katherine, why don't you come in?"
Joan Lopez, who was still processing her mail, turned her head when she heard the movement at the door and looked at her daughter standing dazed in the doorway.
Katherine Lopez paused, pulling her thoughts back from Frank Baker's indifferent eyes, "Mom."
Joan Lopez frowned, a look of worry on her face, "Don't want to go to mom's room?"
"No." Katherine Lopez pressed her lips together, "I'm thinking about something."
Joan Lopez was curious and asked, "What are you so deep in thought about?"
Katherine Lopez fell silent for a moment, "I haven't figured it out yet."
"..."
Joan Lopez understood, no longer questioning.
She got up, pulled Katherine Lopez into the room, and closed the door.
"Katherine." The two walked over to the chairs next to them, and Joan Lopez reached up and tidied Katherine Lopez's messy hair, quietly saying, "If Mom doesn't come looking for you tonight, are you not planning on talking to Mom?"
Katherine Lopez was silent.
Joan Lopez looked at her stubborn expression, somewhat helplessly, "Mom shouldn't have said that to you this morning. Mom doesn't think our Katherine is a selfish child. But Mom said those words, so Mom should apologize to you."
She looked at her with a gentle gaze, "I'm sorry."
Katherine Lopez looked up abruptly, her eyes glistening as she gazed at her.
Joan Lopez smiled, pinched her fair cheek and asked, "When did my daughter become a crybaby?"
Katherine Lopez let out a haughty hum, the meaning quite clear.
She became a crybaby because of Joan Lopez and the others.
Joan Lopez apologized sincerely to her, admitting that it was their oversight not to discuss with her in advance about Frank Baker staying at their house. During the summer vacation, Joan Lopez was very busy with all sorts of messy things at the hotel, and she didn't get home until 11 or 12 o'clock at night, when Katherine Lopez was already asleep in the morning. Over time, it was naturally forgotten. Hearing Joan Lopez say this, Katherine Lopez responded with a gloomy sound. Joan Lopez smiled and added, "And when Mom first invited Frank, Frank refused." "What?" Katherine Lopez was surprised, "Why did he refuse?" Their house, although not as luxurious as the mansions often seen on TV, was not bad. Joan Lopez: "He didn't want to trouble us." Katherine Lopez pursed her lips, "Then why is he willing to trouble us now?" "..." Joan Lopez was amused by her daughter's words and explained with a smile, "He didn't want to worry his grandparents." Frank Baker came to North City to study because his grandparents lived here. The two elderly people lived in the suburbs, which was inconvenient for him to go to and from school. Later, Frank Baker planned to rent a house near the school. After learning about this, Joan Lopez strongly invited Frank Baker to stay at their house. She hoped that Frank Baker would come to live with them, partly because she felt that it was pitiful and dangerous for him to live alone outside, and partly because Frank Baker's mother was her best friend before, and under the premise of her ability, she wanted to take care of the child more for her friend. Katherine Lopez was stunned, "His mother is deceased?" Joan Lopez nodded. "Then..." Joan Lopez thought for a while and only told Katherine Lopez, "His father is busy." Suddenly, Katherine Lopez didn't know what to say. When Joan Lopez previously told her about it, she only mentioned that Frank Baker was the son of a friend, and he didn't want to study in Hong City, so he came to North City to live with them. She didn't tell Katherine Lopez about Frank Baker's situation. If Joan Lopez had informed her of this in advance and discussed with her about having someone stay at their house, perhaps Katherine Lopez wouldn't have run away from home. Seeing her daughter's pensive look, Joan Lopez patted her on the back, "Okay, let's not talk about these unhappy things." She asked Katherine Lopez, "Can you forgive Mom now?" Katherine Lopez thought for a moment, feeling that she couldn't give in so quickly, "I need to think about it." Joan Lopez couldn't help but chuckle, "How long do you need to think about it?" Katherine Lopez didn't directly answer her question, "Mom, when you let Frank Baker stay at our house, weren't you worried about the issue of gender differences?" "?" Joan Lopez blinked and realized, "Katherine, Frank is not that kind of child." Katherine Lopez muttered, "That's not for sure." Joan Lopez smiled wryly, "Mom judges people very well, and Frank has only been interested in studying since he was a child. He doesn't have those messy thoughts. Of course, if he says something that makes you uncomfortable or does something that offends you, you tell Dad and Mom right away, and we will handle it immediately." After hearing Joan Lopez's words, Katherine Lopez could not find a reason to convince Joan Lopez to have Frank Baker move out. Even if she had one, Joan Lopez would not listen. With this in mind, Katherine Lopez decided not to approach it from Joan Lopez's side. "Mom, I'm going back to my room to sleep." Joan Lopez reached out to hug her, "Go ahead, and go to school with Frank tomorrow morning." The next morning, when Katherine Lopez went downstairs after washing up, Mrs. Lopez was already preparing to go to the hotel. Before leaving, she instructed Katherine Lopez, "After breakfast, have Gregory take you and Frank to school. Frank also needs to go to the administrative office, you remember to help Mom take Frank there." Without waiting for Katherine Lopez to agree, Joan Lopez hurriedly left. Seeing her get into the car, Katherine Lopez was speechless for a while, then turned to look at the person sitting at the dining table. Frank Baker seemed unaware, focused on enjoying his breakfast. After breakfast, the two got into the car in silence. From Katherine Lopez's house to school, it usually takes less than 20 minutes unless there is severe traffic. This journey to school was usually Katherine Lopez's happiest time of the day. She would mess with her hair, look in the mirror, watch idol videos, and read comics, etc. But today, with an additional person, she felt uncomfortable doing anything. Possible Gregory felt the car was too quiet, or he was tasked by Joan Lopez to help Katherine Lopez and Frank Baker get acquainted. He broke the awkward silence, "Katherine." He glanced in the rearview mirror and said kindly, "Your mom told me Frank found you first yesterday?" Katherine Lopez responded with a slight stammer. Gregory nodded cheerfully and turned to Frank Baker, "Frank, are you getting used to living in the north of the city?" Frank Baker's voice was clear and crisp, like a cool morning breeze, "Used to it." Gregory understood and said, "If there's anything Gregory can help with, just say so, don't be polite." Hearing this, Frank Baker slightly raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping past the person next to him, and responded, "Thank you, Gregory." They made small talk in an awkward manner until they neared the school. Katherine Lopez spotted Janice Adams and quickly said, "Gregory, stop the car, I'll get off here." Gregory hesitated, "Katherine, your mom..." Before he could finish, Frank Baker cut in, "Gregory, I'll get off here too." The two got off the car. Katherine Lopez looked back at the receding, slender figure of Frank Baker, still finding it hard to believe. Suddenly, her shoulder was lightly tapped from behind, "Katherine! Why are you spacing out?" It was her classmate, Denise Scott. "I... was scolding someone," Katherine Lopez blinked. Denise Scott walked beside her and gossiped, "Who upset you so early in the morning?" Katherine Lopez avoided the question, "Some people seem to lack manners." Janice Adams soon joined them, "What are you guys chatting about?" Katherine Lopez turned to her, "Why are you so early today?" Janice Adams, who usually arrived right on time, explained, "I woke up early." The three friends entered the school together. Denise Scott suddenly remembered the gossip she heard in the teachers' office yesterday, "Oh, did you know the science experimental class is accepting transfer students?"
The news that their grade was coming to transfer students spread through the classroom.
Katherine Lopez did not want to hear any news about Frank Baker, so she pulled out her earphones and plugged her ears, then pulled out a notebook from the desk drawer to prepare to draft a tenant agreement.
"What should I write for the first clause of the 'Tenant Agreement'?"
Janice Adams: "What does Baidu say?"
"Forget it."
She was about to take out her phone to search again, when a classmate ran into the classroom in a hurry and shouted loudly, "Classmates, I saw the transfer student."
Where? Male or female?
"The student reporting the news panted and said: "It's a man."..."
How handsome are you?
"You girls are so superficial."
"What, a love of beauty is common to all, can't I just like good-looking people?"
"..."
Listening to the discussion around her, Janice Adams was also quite curious. She leaned in close to Katherine Lopez and whispered, "Katherine, is that guy really that good-looking?"
Katherine Lopez didn't want to say he was handsome, but the words just wouldn't come out as it went against her true feelings.
She hesitated for a moment, and with great reluctance said, "It's alright."
"So forced?" Janice Adams lost interest.
Katherine Lopez felt embarrassed, replied with a dry "Mm," and said, "You'll see when you go to the experimental class later."
Janice Adams readily agreed: "That's right."
The two were chatting when the school bell rang.
Katherine Lopez stuffed her phone into the desk drawer, preparing to use class time to carefully consider the tenant agreement, hoping to fill an entire page with her thoughts, so that Frank Baker would back down.
The quiet classroom suddenly became restless.
Katherine Lopez, the voice of class teacher Jean Hernandez rang in her ears, "Students, stop for a moment, I'd like to introduce to you all, this is the new student who has transferred to our class this semester, everyone please welcome."
In that moment when the words were spoken, Katherine Lopez saw the unavoidable face of Frank Baker.
At the same time, Jean Hernandez asked Frank Baker to introduce himself.
Frank Baker turned around and wrote the words "Frank Baker" on the blackboard, saying "My name is Frank Baker."
Jean Hernandez waited a few seconds, but he didn't speak again. She paused for a moment and asked, "Is the introduction over?"
"Hmm."
Jean Hernandez remained silent, looked around, "You can sit there for now, behind Katherine Lopez, we'll switch positions once a week. The teacher will switch your seat again next week."
Frank Baker headed to the empty seat in the back row of the classroom.
The tip of the nose brushes against the faint scent of mint.
Katherine Lopez was still in shock over the surprising news that Frank Baker had transferred to their class, when Frank Baker had already walked past her seat, pulled out the chair behind her, and sat down.
