Sophia Green had been seventeen years old when she had been in a car accident. It was during the summer holiday of her sophomore year. After the accident, Kate Green had managed to get Sophia's schooling suspended, and now that she was recovered, it was time to go back.
High school memories were far away for one of the Sophia Greens. At school, she had always been the one to be specially taken care of and looked after. Now, she was looking forward to going to school like a normal student.
"I'll go with you," said Kate anxiously.
"Oh, please, Mom. Take a rest. It's just some readmission formalities. I can do it."
Kate Green had married early. She was only thirty-nine years old, but she looked older, thanks to the sadness and worries of the past few years.
Sophia Green felt very sorry for taking up her daughter's body. She didn't want Kate Green to worry or work for her anymore. She didn't want to trouble this lady who was now her mother if it was something she could do herself.
It was enrollment day, no classes, just handing out textbooks and getting organized for the year ahead. They didn't live far from the school, and Sophia wheeled her bike out of the apartment block and headed to school.
It was the first time she, Sophia Green, had ridden a bike. Thanks to the other Sophia's memories, she found her muscles knew what to do, and she felt like she was flying. After ten minutes of glorious cycling, she arrived at school.
Armed with the relevant papers, Sophia Green entered the Office of Academic Affairs.
"Hello. I'd like to come back to school."
She put the documents on the director's desk. In her alternate memory, she found she knew this man, a difficult person, it seemed, called Mr. Bull. "I had an accident two years ago, and I recently got released from the hospital, so I'd like to return to school."
Director Bull had been reading when she entered. He raised his head on hearing the words. He glanced up at Sophia Green and started.
She was back! The troublemaker was back! He had thought Sophia Green would never come back to school even if she did wake up, and here she was, right in front of him.
Was she coming to school right out of the hospital? She should take more rest, he thought. If only so he could make her wait another year before she was readmitted.
Thinking about Sophia Green's previous behavior at school made him shudder. Director Bull desperately wanted to find a way to prevent her from coming back. Her grades had been terrible and he was sure she would never be admitted to university. He hated bad students who lowered the school's college enrollment rate.
He thought for a moment, cleared his throat, and said, "Sophia Green, right? Here's the thing. Our school is one of the key high schools in the area so there are some strict conditions for enrollment. Even though you studied here before, you have to pass an exam before continuing onto 11th grade."
"Exam?" Sophia was confused.
"Yes, an exam. You can't go to college if your grades are too low, can you? And then it would be no use going onto 11th grade, right?" Director Bull nodded as he spoke.
He knew Sophia Green would never pass an exam. Her study habits had been the worst before the accident, and now she had been in a coma for two years. She couldn't have got any better!
Then he could use her low grades to deny her application to enter the 11th grade. At the very least, he could arrange for her to study in 10th grade for another year. Then it wouldn't affect the school's college enrollment rate this year.
Sophia had no memory of this rule. Was it a new rule, or was Director Bull making it up to make things difficult? She didn't know.
But an exam… that didn't bother her.
"Okay. I'll take the examination. But, what mark do I need to pass?"
Director Bull thought Sophia would find an excuse not to take the exam. He didn't expect that she would just agree. But he figured she was just an impulsive kid, and she obviously hadn't thought it through.
"Just take a math test. One hundred and fifty points in total. You're in if you can get ninety points."
This was the usual standard applied by the school when they held examinations—one hundred and fifty points in total and a ninety point pass mark.
A passing grade was not too much for a high school student. Director Bull's requirement sounded quite fair to her.
"All right, ninety points." she nodded.
"Just do it here. I'll be watching you." Director Bull didn't trust her one bit and wanted her where he could see her.
"I know." Sophia answered a little impatiently. She could have finished the paper in the time they'd been talking. When she was admitted to Glinton University, she had got the highest entry score with full marks in math.
Director Bull turned around and searched in the cupboard. Suddenly, he had an idea and took out a test paper.
"This one."
He handed the test paper to Sophia. She took a look at the questions, picked up her pen, and began to write. She didn't even bother with calculations, just thought for a while and wrote the answer directly.
Director Bull looked on, puzzled, and decided she must have just given up and guessed.
Just then, a woman came in to look for Director Bull. She saw Sophia and said, amazed, "Is that Sophia Green? You recovered?!"
Sophia remembered this woman. It was Mrs. Acheson, who had taught her math in the tenth grade and was also her headteacher. She was a nice-looking middle-aged woman. In her other memory, she had recollections of Mrs. Acheson, often criticizing her.
"Hello, Mrs. Acheson." Sophia smiled, "I'm here to go through the readmission formalities. The director said I have to pass an exam, so I'm taking it now."
"When did we start this kind of regulation?" Mrs. Acheson frowned.
"The notice was just issued. It's not your area, so, of course, you wouldn't know." Director Bull responded.
"Isn't this this year's college entrance exam paper? She hasn't learned this stuff yet! It's not appropriate for her. You must have got the wrong test paper." Mrs. Acheson taught mathematics herself. So she knew the level at one glance.
"That's why she'll pass as long as she can get ninety points. Anyway, what do you want? Do you want to talk to me?" Director Bull was scowling at her.
It reminded Mrs. Acheson of her reason for coming, "A student in my class has asked for five days' leave. The school regulations state that more than three days' leave must be approved by the director; that's right, isn't it? Here's the note." She handed a piece of paper to Director Bull.
"Kevin Green? This student is in the top thirty, right? Why is he taking so much leave? It will affect his studies."
On hearing the name "Kevin Green," Sophia Green stopped her writing and put down the pen.
Kevin Green was her brother.