Chapter 1722

[ 590 words ]

The next morning, after Lex headed out early, Skylar turned to Claire and Zara with a worried expression.

“Claire, Zara, do you really think Social Services back there will actually do anything?”

“They’ll step in on paper, sure, but in a town that backward and patriarchal, their actual power is probably pretty limited.”

Claire sighed heavily. “We aren’t Lex. We can’t make these choices for her.”

“So there’s nothing we can do but wait and see what she decides.”

Zara crossed her arms, feeling a flash of frustration and wondering if her earlier scheming had just been overstepping.

“We meant well, but Lex has her own way of doing things. Let’s not overthink it.” Claire had to swing by the hospital right after her morning classes.

Her schedule was packed, making her morning routine a rapid blur of motion.

Skylar was still lingering in front of the mirror when she let out a dramatic gasp. “Oh my god, is that a breakout?”

She usually had a flawless, radiant complexion, so the sudden appearance of an angry red blemish was practically a crisis.

Both Claire and Zara turned to look at her.

A noticeable spot had set up camp right on her chin.

Zara turned to Claire with exaggerated seriousness. “Dr. Claire, what’s the professional diagnosis for hormonal acne on the chin?”

“A pre-cycle spike in androgens and progesterone, paired with a drop in estrogen, which sends oil production into overdrive. Simply put, hormonal imbalance.”

“It could also be poor digestion leading to a buildup in her system.”

“Or even just a weakened immune response.”

Claire rattled off a few potential causes. Without doing a proper examination, she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason.

Skylar covered her mouth in dismay. “It’s definitely my lack of self-control. I had a massive iced coffee yesterday.”

“And my digestion has been sluggish lately, so I binged on a huge bowl of fruit last night.”

Did all that just backfire on her?

She groaned in absolute misery.

Claire and Zara exchanged an amused glance. “You still have time for concealer, but if you keepe whining, we’re all going to be late.”

Claire grabbed her bag. “I can’t skip breakfast. I’m heading to the dining hall, so hurry up.”

Skylar gave up with a dramatic sigh and tossed her makeup aside. “Whatever. No concealer. I’m embracing it.”

“A breakout just proves I’m still young and beautiful!”

After dawdling in the dorm, they ended up running behind. They.

grabbed some oatmeal from the t

dining hall and sprinted all the way to the lecture building.

By the time they reached the entrance, Zara and Skylar were both gasping for air.

Only Claire hadn’t even broken a sweat, her breathing perfectly even.

They were already well aware of Claire’s insane stamina; she had outlasted everyone during their freshman orientation drills.

“Okay, I see the appeal of working out now,” Skylar panted. “Claire just sprinted like a racehorse and isn’t even tired.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m tired. I just have better cardio than you two.”

Zara recovered slightly faster, thanks to her background in dance.

“Claire!”

Yolande was also rushing to her morning lecture and was surprised to spot her cousin outside the building.

Claire was equally surprised. Even

though they went to The Cabinda University

ét

together they were

different years, making chance

in

encounters like this rare.

Remembering the drama Tiffany had stirred up over the holidays, Claire felt a twinge

of sympathy for Yolande.

“Yolande!”

She wanted to ask how she was holding up, but the loud ring of the warning bell echoed across the quad.

“Class is starting! Catch you later!”

Claire and her friends immediately scattered, sprinting toward their respective lecture halls.

Yolande watched her cousin dash away in a blur of motion and let out a soft laugh.

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