Samuel was pissed.


    Maximilian lost his mom young, stuck with a crappy family.


    Samuel felt bad for the kid, growing up through all that mess.


    If he didn''t look out for Maximilian, how could he face his daughter when he kicked the bucket?


    Seeing Maximilian''s eyes go cold, Samuel chilled out, his anger fading fast. "Alright, if you don''t dig Katniss, pick someone else. But saying you won''t get hitched? If your mom were..." Sadness and reluctance shed on Samuel''s face. He finally waved his hand, saying, "Take your meds, I''ll head out."


    Before leaving, Samuel grabbed the prescription Katniss left on the table, folded it carefully, and stuffed it in his jacket pocket.


    He thought Katniss was a good match.


    After Katniss and Samuel left, the vi went back to its usual quiet. Maximilian stared out the window at the birds flying away, not moving an inch.


    With autumning, flocks of birds circled the gray-blue sky before taking off.


    Felix followed his gaze but had no clue what he was looking at, feeling a deep sense of pity.


    Maximilian wasn''t nning to get married, or even stick around for a few more years!


    When he was so sick he couldn''t sleep more than an hour or two a day, how could he have any hope for the future?


    Felix said, "Sir, Samuel''s just worried about you. Don''t sweat it."


    "I know." Maximilian said, closing his eyes and then opening them again, no longer looking out the window. "Felix, bring me the medicinal food."


    Felix nodded, left the room, and went downstairs to get the medicinal food Katniss had brought, but couldn''t help but sigh.


    Well, the days ahead were long, take it one step at a time.


    Maybe, as Katniss said, the future would be full of hope.


    After all, Maximilian was getting better after taking Katniss''s medicine; he would surely be cured!


    After delivering the medicinal food, Katniss kept bringing it several more times, but Maximilian seemed to be getting busier. A few times, he was at thepany, so she had to wait outside the vi area, having Felix take it in. For some reason, she felt that Maximilian was deliberately distancing himself from her.


    Once, when she went and he was there, he didn''t even talk to her. When he saw hering, he went back to his room to work.


    Katniss felt a bit of inexplicable disappointment but quickly adjusted her mood.


    Because the coffee shop business was gradually improving, she was earning a decent ie from it, her attention shifting more towards the coffee shop.


    Days passed, the leaves on the trees turned from a full golden yellow to a dry caramel color, and Katniss''s short-sleeved dress changed to a white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.


    Her high ponytail bounced as she walked, radiating energy and turning heads.


    There being still some time before the speech contest started, she was hurrying to cheer for Juniper to defeat ra!


    Juniper hollered, "Katniss!"


    From a distance, she saw Katniss, jumping up and down, waving like a maniac.


    Katniss sprinted over, asking, "Juniper, are you nervous?"


    Juniper shook her head, grinning, "Don''t worry, I''ve got this! You''ll be cheering me on when I totally crush ra."


    Seeing Juniper''s confident vibe, Katniss felt a wave of relief.


    But then, a snarky voice piped up from behind, "Crush ra? Dream on!"


    They spun around to see ra and her sidekick Ruby Hayes. Ruby came from money and was an only child, which made her a bit of a brat. Most ssmates didn''t dare mess with her. ra tugged at Ruby''s sleeve, saying, "Ruby, Juniper''s usually top of the ss. She''s got the chops to back it up."


    "ra, no matter how good she is, she shouldn''t be so cocky!" Ruby sneered, her re turning icy.


    Ruby and Juniper had always butted heads. Both came from good families, but Juniper was prettier and more popr.


    Once, Ruby overheard some ssmatesparing the two, saying she wasn''t as good as Juniper.


    Since then, she had it out for Juniper.


    And Katniss, who used to be so shy and in, was now getting all this attention for her looks.


    How could someone change so much? Did she get stic surgery?


    Katniss raised her eyes, looking at them without flinching, "Yeah, being number one is awesome. But you''ll never get there, so don''t even think about it." Katniss knew better than anyone how hard Juniper had worked for thispetition.


    As for ra, she had seen her at various school social events.


    In the past, ra snagged the spot easily without any realpetition, spending months prepping to win first ce.


    This time, she dropped thirty grand to buy the spot but spent her days goofing off, with Juniper as her rival. Katniss wondered if ra could even snag third ce. Juniper couldn''t stand Ruby either, snapping back, "Yeah, there are lots of great people, unlike some who think ra''s the only one that matter."


    "Juniper!" Ruby shouted, knowing she was being mocked, and was about tosh out but ra held her back.


    ra said, "Ruby, thepetition''s about to start, we can''t argue."


    Ruby was fuming but, thinking about ra''spetition, had to hold back, ring at Juniper before storming off with ra.


    But as Ruby walked, she got angrier, saying, "Juniper? She''s not even in your league. What''s she thinking?"


    ra lowered her eyes, looking a bit sad, "Juniper''s really good, Ruby. I''m kinda scared. If I don''t ce, how can I face Lucas after he spent so much money on me?" Seeing ra about to cry, Ruby felt her heart break.


    ra, so pure and kind, deserved first ce. If someone like Juniper got it, she''d be livid.


    No way, she wouldn''t let Juniper get first ce!