After all, there were plenty of times when people just couldn't drag themselves out of bed and wanted to sleep in.
Plus, the cafeteria wasn't exactly close.
Linsey's business quickly expanded to the dorm next door.
She bought the food for fifty cents at the cafeteria and charged a dollar.
Linsey could carry seven or eight breakfasts at a time.
Making a few extra dollars wasn't much, but it basically covered her own breakfast.
Two days of deliveries could cover a lunch.
She even read her textbooks on the way to the cafeteria.
She was the absolute picture of positivity and drive.
The girls in her dorm were all in awe of her.
Claire was the second one to wake up, but she got up to exercise.
She would work out on the track and then walk back to the dorm with Linsey, who had just finished buying breakfast.
Linsey refused to charge Claire a delivery fee, but Claire would always help her carry some of the bags back.
Claire had tried to pay her, but Linsey absolutely refused.
With Linsey braving the elements every day without fail, the people who had initially complained started to admire her.
At least she wasn't surviving on handouts; she was earning her own way.
She was still taking in shoes to wash. Outside of her studies, Linsey was the busiest person in the dorm.
Of course, the others weren't exactly slacking off either.
The students at The Cabinda University were mostly ambitious and studious, their daily schedules packed with classes, and any free time was spent in the library.
Ever since Priscilla Hastings had tagged along with Claire and the others to demand the money that night, she had grown much closer to Claire, developing a friendship with the girls in her dorm.
Conversely, her relationship with her own roommates began to cool.
Perhaps they were a little annoyed seeing Priscilla getting so chummy with Claire.
But when two equally hardworking, driven girls hung out together, it was naturally magnetic.
Ethan Monroe soon joined their study group.
"My dad told me to look out for you."
Ethan brought the two girls some fruit, stating his excuse matter-of-factly.
"Then tell your dad I said thanks?"
Claire knew Barry was far too busy to even think about her.
It was Ethan who wanted to hang out with them and deliberately made up an
excuse.
This guy was definitely suited for academia because he possessed a relentless research spirit.
His observational studies of Claire were incredibly meticulous.
Claire noticed, of course, but she just didn't care enough to entertain him.
Priscilla happily took a bunch of grapes. "Does that mean I'm just reaping the benefits?"
Ethan didn't say a word, and Claire popped a grape into Priscilla's mouth. "Can't even food keep your mouth shut?"
"I..." Priscilla mumbled around the grape, unable to speak.
As other students filed into the classroom, they were already used to seeing the three of them grouped together.
Priscilla's three roommates walked in as well.
The classroom steadily filled up.
Lily Lowell and Tabitha Prince huddled together, whispering just like always.
"Did you guys know? I looked
up online and found out she's
actually a fake heiress from some wealthy family.
As if terrified Claire would hear, Lily deliberately lowered her voice.
"She does look like she comes from money."
Tabitha couldn't deny it.
Claire's every movement exuded good breeding, and her clothes and food were always top-tier.
She definitely didn't look like someone strapped for cash.
Lily shot a side-eye in Claire's direction. "Of course she has money.
She grew up in a rich family, so if
she secretly stashed some away
she wouldn't be broke now.
"But she's a fake heiress. She stole someone else's life from the start. Later, when she went to that winter camp, it was exposed that she u
used
shady methods to get her spot."
"I don't know if it's all true, but where there's smoke on the internet, there's fire."
Lily gave her a knowing look.