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WD - Chapter 195: Extended fame
🕑 Added 2025-01-15 15:52:18 +0000 UTC"Why are you more than twenty minutes late?!" Professor Memphis exclaimed furiously as the classroom door burst open and two students walked in. His voice resonated with authority, silencing any murmurs in the room.
Professor Memphis, an elderly man with gray hair and a slight hunch, wore an outdated and dusty suit, as if he had pulled it out of a forgotten trunk. His small, sunken eyes flashed with impatience as he turned his stern gaze to Violet.
"You again, Violet—"
He started but stopped abruptly when he noticed the second student walking in behind Violet. A blonde girl with facial features that could only be described as perfect. She was none other than Tuesday—or rather, Luke.
Everyone in the class immediately noticed the new student, falling into an abrupt silence at the sight of Tuesday's striking features.
"Y-you... are the new student?" the professor stammered, trying to regain his composure as he swallowed hard.
"Yes, professor. Tuesday Foster. It's a pleasure to meet you," Luke replied, offering the elderly professor a dazzling smile. His tone was warm, soft, almost musical, and he inclined his head slightly in a polite gesture.
Violet blinked in surprise. Just a few minutes ago, in the restroom, Tuesday had been arrogant, uninterested, and utterly unconcerned about being late.
Now, she seemed like a completely different person: polite, smiling, and charming—so convincing that even Violet almost believed it.
Wednesday, seated at one of the middle desks, couldn't help but roll her eyes. She knew this was one of the traits Luke had given his character, Tuesday: using her appearance to manipulate adults while showing arrogance and rebellion among her peers.
"Ahem. Well... Miss Foster, I understand you're new, but that doesn't excuse being more than twenty minutes late to my class. Explain yourself," the professor said, coughing to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry, professor. I got lost trying to find my way around the school. Since I'm new, I'm not familiar with the hallways yet," Luke responded, lowering his head slightly, as if embarrassed.
The students in the classroom watched Tuesday's every word and movement, completely captivated—even the women.
"Fortunately," he continued, flashing Violet a grateful smile, "I ran into Violet. I asked her to help me and give me a little tour to get my bearings. But it was my fault we were so delayed. She was only trying to help me."
"Oh... that's understandable since you're new," said Professor Memphis, his expression softening. None of his students could believe that Professor Memphis could make such an expression.
"But don't let it happen again, Miss Foster. You should learn from your sister's example," the professor added.
Tuesday's head turned, and her blue eyes locked onto Wednesday—or rather, Jenna. Violet noticed the cold glint in her eyes, then followed her gaze to a black-haired girl with glasses, pretty, with an intellectual air.
'Is she her sister? They don't look alike at all,' Violet thought. Maybe they were stepsisters, sharing the same mother but different fathers, or twins who didn’t share the same appearance.
"Oh yes... I’ll definitely learn from my sister," Luke said, breaking his gaze from Wednesday and returning to his polite façade.
"Good. Take your seats," said the professor, and Tuesday walked toward one of the desks in the back, followed by Violet.
All eyes were on her—or him—whichever it was.
Violet sat next to Tuesday; fortunately, the desk was free. She glanced at her from the corner of her eye. 'What an actress...' she thought. She knew that sweetness was entirely fake—a façade to avoid punishment.
She wasn’t the only popular girl to use such a tactic, though she was the only one who managed to avoid punishment from the grumpy Professor Memphis.
The bell rang, and class ended. Within seconds, many students began rising and heading toward the new student's desk to talk to her. The good personality she had shown Professor Memphis made them believe she would be easy to get along with.
Luke kept a slightly interested expression, not overly enthusiastic—just enough to appear approachable.
They asked her many things: where she was from, what school she had attended, why she had moved here, and so on.
Luke knew that if he displayed an openly unfriendly or impatient attitude, he would scare everyone off and isolate himself. That was basically his true personality—and exactly what he had done during his first year at Nevermore.
But he couldn’t use that personality with Tuesday. He needed to become the queen bee, balancing rebellion with just enough charisma to make others follow him while ensuring they understood the hierarchy.
Violet, still seated next to her, observed as others approached, introducing themselves or trying to start conversations. Tuesday responded to each one with a mix of superficial courtesy and subtle arrogance that, far from driving them away, seemed to attract them even more.
As for Jenna, she was completely overshadowed by her sister, thanks to Wednesday's brilliant portrayal of her character. To everyone else, although Jenna was pretty, her slouched posture and the way she avoided eye contact made her seem insignificant—like a shadow in the background of the scene.
When it was her turn to introduce herself to the class, she adopted a soft, timid voice. Her introduction was brief and dull, filled with pauses that almost seemed forced. The contrast between the two sisters was so stark it was almost comedic.
Luke was astonished by Wednesday's masterful performance of becoming invisible. He knew that Wednesday’s true personality naturally drew all eyes to her, rivaling or even surpassing Tuesday's magnetism, which was largely due to her striking appearance.
Wednesday had such an intense presence that many felt uncomfortable around her. But here, playing Jenna, she had transformed that intensity into invisibility.
Thus, a week passed since classes started at Shadyside for Luke and Wednesday.
In just seven days, Luke, under his false identity as Tuesday Foster, had achieved something that would take others months, if not years. His presence was magnetic—not just because of his looks, which seemed to belong on the cover of a fashion magazine, but also due to the personality he had meticulously crafted.
He wasn’t good, nor was he bad. He was haughty, yes, but not to the point of being off-putting. He exuded a confidence that bordered on arrogance, but it was so natural that no one minded.
Many were surprised to see that one of his groups of friends consisted of Violet, Simon, and Kate—a group that wasn’t popular but also wasn’t entirely outcast. They had a reputation for being rebellious and a little troublesome.
In just one week, his fame had spread throughout the school. Even students from Shadyside Middle School wanted to catch a glimpse of the supposed supermodel who had joined the high school.
Meanwhile, Wednesday took a diametrically opposite path. She chose to keep a low profile, and while her impeccable grades made her a favorite among the teachers, her introverted demeanor kept her from standing out among the students.
Despite her striking beauty, which could have easily secured her a more prominent place in the social radar, Wednesday went almost unnoticed. Her reserved attitude, brief answers, and constant downward gaze ensured that most people didn’t pay much attention to her.
In Shadyside, a small town where new students were inevitably a topic of conversation, even someone like Jenna would have drawn attention simply for being new.
But she remained overlooked, partly thanks to her acting and partly due to her sister’s overshadowing influence.
Tuesday's strong presence, with her charisma and dominant personality, played a crucial role. No one dared to intimidate or mock Jenna for fear of what her sister might do.
Although there was no direct evidence that Tuesday would react aggressively, no one wanted to take the risk of messing with her sister. So far, no one had even seen them talking to each other—they barely exchanged greetings.
