"But sir... that's an absurd question. You haven't taught us anything about physics yet." a pupil timidly complained.
"That's true, but this question appeared in the entrance exam. If you managed to pass that, then this recitation exam would be a piece of cake. And remember, anyone who has a failing grade by the end of the 1st semester will be expelled."
Sir Santiago has his hands clasped together, covering his mouth which is wearing a smirk.
"What's your name? The one who complained~" Sir Santiago asked.
"Clyde, Sir—Clyde Aberin." Clyde answered respectfully.
"Stand up!" his fist banged the table.
Clyde hastily stood up and his chair was pushed back.
"You're well aware that talking during class is prohibited, right? This action of yours will drastically affect your good moral ratio." Sir Santiago said.
"I-Im sorry, sir." Clyde stammered.
Sir Santiago giggled mockingly before stating, "You may sit."
"I'm done solving, sir" Selene reported with a smile.
Sir Santiago clicked the timer's button and it stopped counting down.
She still has 3:24 time left. It only took her 1 minute and 36 seconds to solve the question.
That question was impossible to solve when you don't know your own weight. I know the formula myself, so if that question happens to be asked at me, I'd definitely get it correct. The formula for Potential Energy was "PE= m g h". The height was mentioned in the question, but the acceleration due to gravity isn't. So, a misconception might occur since the Earth's gravitational pull was 9.8m/s2. It's a bit tricky because the spaceship was on Mars, not on Earth.
"Did you write your solution?" Sir Santiago asked.
"No sir, I solved it in my mind."
"Uh-huh." Sir Santiago nodded.
"I weigh 52 kg, and then I multiplied it by the acceleration due to the gravity of the planet Mars which is 3.7m/s2. Then, I multiplied the answer by the 19 meters height. After solving the problem, I calculated my Potential Energy was 3796.2 Joules."
After Selene demonstrated her solution, all of the simping boys over her applauded as loud as gunshots.
That's actually impressive; she's as bright as always. Just like when we were in elementary school, she's consistently at the top of the class.
"That is correct. Without even using calculator or a scratch—you have a keen mind, I'll give you that. However, that's just the first question, let's continue to the next one."
Sir Santiago has an evil smile which looks like he's about to ask even more obscure questions. On the other hand, Selene has a kind, confident smile.
Sir Santiago picked up the questionnaire and lifted it closer to his eyes. It's taking him a while to pick a question, perhaps he's browsing through the folder to find the hardest question.
The test is already hard enough considering there's no relation between wildlife and physics.
Although, it got me curious. It's unlikely that this school would make us watch useless information, so perhaps there is some other purpose behind that.
After searching the questionnaire thoroughly, Sir Santiago continued with the next question, "Paris is what we all know as the 'City of Love', but there's also a city in the Philippines that is called 'City of Love'—which city is it?"
"Iloilo city." She immediately answered without breaking a sweat.
Once again, the classroom filled with constant applause.
From Physics to Geography, this exam is getting insane.
Sir Santiago went to the final question without even looking at the questionnaire.
"Okay… For your last question, what color is the shoe I wore this morning." He grinned viscously.
It seems that he improvised a question.
~But I know the answer…
Earlier this morning, it's the first thing I noticed on his outfit. He was wearing a tuxedo, and it's common sense to pair that kind of outfit with black shoes.
Sir Santiago stood up from sitting, and stood next to the table, revealing the shoes he's currently wearing.
It's black.
"This question is more like a bonus don't you think?" he let out a taunting giggle.
It sounded as if he were joking, but it's actually a fluke. He's wearing different shoes from earlier and I know it because I saw it with my own two eyes. However, I may be the only one who knows the answer since that is a very little detail that is mostly unnoticeable.
The chances of Selene getting this question correct were slim to none, but she already has two correct answers, and by that, she has a passing score.
I know the answer but if I steal the question, then she'll lose 50% and that's a failing score. If it happens that she missed this question, I wouldn't steal it so she would pass.
"Sir, if I may, I'd like to ask a question." Selene said.
"Go ahead."
"How many pairs of shoes do you own?"
Sir Santiago cackled, echoing through the walls of the classroom.
With a grin on his face, he answered, "I only have one."
"And what color is that?"
"You're asking too many questions. But since it's not against the rules, I'll gladly indulge you. I only own one pair of shoes, and I'm wearing them right now."
He's trying to mislead Selene. The more she asks, the trickier it gets.
"It's on you whether you think it's a fluke or not. But to clarify, I am not gaslighting anyone. All information I have given was pure truth." he said authentically.
Selene closed her eyes and took a deep sigh. Then with a smile, she answered, "It's blue rubber shoes, isn't it? When you called me to your office earlier, I saw it on you; if I'm not mistaken, that shoes wasn't yours."
"Correct!" He exclaimed.
He had an elated grin on his face as he gawked at Selene. And with that, he gave Selene the permission to sit.
As she calmly tread back to her seat, my classmates were clapping while looking at her in admiration.
She was the darling of the crowd, and as I gazed at her, everything behind her disappeared. Her hair slowly swayed as she ambled between the seats.
She walked past my side before sitting on her seat, and damn, her cherry aroma tickled my nostrils.
When she sat down, she looked at Jacob, and they exchanged blissful smiles.
~Not gonna lie, I felt jealous of that.
Going further with the exam, it's the males' turn and he began calling names one after another. My classmates might look like thugs, but they're not dumb. To be honest, it's the other way around. All of them got 75% and none have stolen a question yet, so they passed.
The name-calling continued until my turn came.
From what I've observed so far, the first two questions are general knowledge questions, and the last is an obscure one where everyone failed to answer except Selene.
The last question tends to trick the respondents, it's typically the questions like, how many mosquitoes bit him last night, how many stones would it take to fill this classroom and more crazy questions that are impossible to answer. I'm assuming that the last question he'd throw wwould be What's the color of his underwear.
At any rate, I came prepared with my stock knowledge. With many circumstances calculated in my head, I went to the prepared seat with confidence that I could answer any questions he could throw.
When I took the seat, the atmosphere got ten times more intense. All of my classmates are watching and my anxiety is overwhelming me.
Then, with a click, the timer began ticking.
The first two questions came by and it was nothing. I read a lot of books, and I'm brilliant when it comes to general knowledge. I always maintain a 95 average grade and never failed even once. I'm a responsible student and I studied a lot—my appearance could be described as a nerd who always studies alone. Well, it's somewhat true, but at least I don't wear nerdy eye-glasses.
I've got two correct answers so far, and the last question where every student tripped is about to come.
"Okay, your last question is…"Sir Santiago paused, he was gawking straight into my eyes, and I was intimidated. "How many boyfriends does your classmate Selene have ever had?"
My spine shivered, and my skin crawled. The euphoric feeling overwhelmed me.
When the question is about Selene, then the outcome has already been settled. Selene's favorite food was salmon, she hates cake, she prefer dogs rather than cats, we even bathe together, and slept together. I know the song she listens to on her way to school, I memorized her pet peeves, and we shared secrets. I know every detail about my childhood friend, or rather ex-girlfriend. Even if all of that happened when we were just kids, I still know her whole history.
Back when we were in elementary school, she once mentioned that she hadn't taken an interest in any of the boys in our class. And on graduation day, she confessed to me and we became together.
And up until now, she hadn't felt any sense of romance in anyone. In spite of her affable demeanour, no man is courageous enough to approach her. Perhaps, it's her overflowing perfection that creates an unapproachable barrier around her.
That said, the answer to the question was seemingly clear.
"She had one." I answered confidently.
"I hate to break it to you, but that's incorrect. If anyone wants to steal, raise your hand."
Confused, I pondered over myself whilst the other male students on were also mumbling in curiosity about how many boys Selene have dated.
There's no way I was wrong.
Then suddenly, someone from the back-seats raised a hand. The pondering students' attention was diverted to her.
"Selene~" Sir Santiago called out her name.
She stood up with grace and answered, "None. I haven't dated anyone."
My classmates who were hoping for a chance with her were celebrating silently on their seats.
"She's mistaken, she had a boyfriend before and I'm certain about it, sir." I retorted.
~This isn't like me. I used to not complain and accept everything, so why am I compulsive?
"Really? How'd you say so?"
"Uh… Umm…" I know for myself that I'm right, but how stupid could I be to forget that her memories were erased.
"She said it herself, she can't be wrong about her own feelings. If you are that upset that you get a 50% score, then you are free to leave my class."
I'm not upset, just disappointed.
I want to defend my answer, but I neither have proof nor have the authority to divulge such a confidential matter. So I zipped my mouth and went back to my seat with my head down.
After a while, the recitation exam reached its conclusion.
Selene and Jacob got a staggering perfect score. The other boys got a passing score of 75%, and the only one who failed was me with a 50% score.
Selene stealing my question gets her a 5% extra score, but since the maximum score was a 100%, she received nothing while I lost 50%.
It's unfair.
~~~~~
The bell rang, signalling the end of class.
Sir Santiago got up and exited the classroom first.
I was planning to borrow a new book from the library before I go home, but a pack of students are swarming the hallway, and I don't intend to join the huddle.
I remain sitting quietly as I read the novella for about ten minutes to avoid the mass crowd.
Selene wrapped up her things and went straight outside.
Jacob approached Selene on her way out, and they began talking as they walked out. Selene was smiling as they have a conversation. But this time, I can't tell if her smile on Jacob contains any affection.
Marco clapped twice, "Hey guys! Emergency meeting." he remarked.
His friends rushed over to him and formed a circle.
"I'm sure we all have the same thoughts in our minds." Marco said.
"~Un un" his friends nodded.
They were on cloud 9 after knowing that Selene had no boyfriend and is currently single.
Though I was busy reading the novella, I'm still listening to their conversation. After all, every piece of information I could get could be a game-changer in the long run.
"This is God's-plan. God sent down an angel and she's a virgin!" Marco exclaimed.
"Yeah!!!" they roared.
"This kind of revelation deserves a celebration, who's coming with me? We're gonna party on my yacht tonight."
Then, a small voice coming from one of his friends interfered. "Umm… I think Jacob fits well with Selene, they're both good-looking and they got perfect scores on the exam earlier. And also, did you guys not saw them walk home together just now?"
"Shut up, Clyde. Your opinion doesn't count. We knew that you're a good, reliable friend at times, but oftentimes you're a pussy. All of us has a chance on Selene, it's a game to whom the best man shall win." Marco folded his arms, "And since you kill the fun, you're not invited to the celebration party. Let's go guys~"
They all went out, and Clyde still followed behind them.
I was the only one left in the classroom, and the uproar outside is over.
I hooked my backpack on my shoulder and left the classroom. I was still pondering over Selene as I walked through the empty hallway.
When I arrived at the library, there were many students from different classes resting on the lounges.
I guess I'm not the only bookworm here. At any rate, some students came here because this library contains every book from different genres—even manga, educational books and light novels.
Since I'm currently sad, I was looking through the tragic romance section to find a new novella to read.
Indulging my broken heart would reduce this sadness.
As I was searching between the bookshelves, I spotted Clyde from across the aisle.
Our eyes met, and then, he began walking towards me whilst waving his hands.
"Hi Leo." he murmured.
I was taken aback that he knows my name. My camouflage technique might not be that much of effective after all.
"Looking for romance books?" he asked.
"I suppose so."
He grabbed a book from a shelf and handed it to me.
"Try this one."
"Whisper and the Roars by K Webster…" I read the title in my head.
It has a creepy cover and it gives off a horror vibes. Not to be skeptical, but, I doubt this is a romance novel—was he pranking me to read a horror novel?
Maybe not. Based on my interpretation of Clyde's actions, he seemed to be distinctly honest and soft-hearted.
Without any more suspicions, I accepted the book.
"You and Marco are friends, correct?" I asked bluntly.
"Oh. Yeah." He smiled.
"Then why didn't he invite you to his yacht party tonight? Just because of a little argument…"
"Oh. No… Please don't think that. Marco is kind to me, even if he said I'm not invited, I know I'm always welcome there."
"Then are you going with them tonight?"
"Of course." "Leo, you didn't seem to have any friends, would you like to come with us tonight? It'll be a blast, trust me."
I never went out with a friend before, maybe because no one ever invited me.
Nevertheless, I'm bad at socializing, so I guess I'll stay at home this evening.
"Sorry, I'm not available tonight."
"It's okay, there'll be more opportunities to come, I'll ask you next time. Anyways, I'll get going now, see you around, Leo."
I simply nodded, and then he walked out of the library.
Class-F may be the class of troublemakers, but Clyde was an exception.
I opened the first page of the book and read half of it before deciding to borrow it.
Surprisingly, it's not what I expected—I meant it in a good way.
I went to the counter and passed the book to the librarian.
I took out my ID from my bag and gave it to her. She scanned my ID and with a beep, the information was successfully processed.
She returned my ID and the book, saying, "Here's your ID, sir. You have three days to return the book. Although, if you're still not finished reading by that time, you can always renew it."
Introvertly, I nodded and exited the library.
"Have a wonderful day, sir." The librarian greeted me as I trudged out of that crowded, hellish library.
Deciding not to go home early, I passed the time on the side of the baseball field. I sat on the bleacher and constantly read the book.
Fourth-year students were playing baseball on the field, but it didn't seem to be much of a distraction.
I have read 14 pages of the book, and I didn't even realize that it's already golden-hour.
The book got me intrigued, though. I'll probably continue reading it when I got home.
My seniors who were playing baseball had already gone home and the whole campus was dead silent.
I closed the book and slid it into my backpack before bolting to the front gate.
I saunter on the side road on my way home. Naturally, I could call a taxi and get a chargeless ride since I'm an Aspro student. But I prefer walking home to prevent my legs from rusting.
The distance between my home and the school was roughly 1.5 kilometers. It's not that far, and to be honest, I can run a marathon ten times more than this. After all, I have superhuman endurance. I could last 20 rounds in bed.
The sun had fully sunken down the horizon when I got home.
When I took my first step on our porch, I promptly noticed something peculiar by the window. The lights are supposed to be on by this hour—so why is it dark inside?
Moreover, the door isn't locked.
I pushed the unlocked door and went deeper to find the light switch.
"Mom? Dad?" I hollered as I slowly walked deeper into the darkness.
No one responds.
Where could they be? It's not their anniversary nor are there any occasions they mention they were going to attend. And even if they went outside, the lights should be on and they usually leave a note on the fridge.
Eventually, I reached the light switch. And with a click, the light illuminates the reception room.
My heart skipped a beat.
My chest suddenly began wrapping my lungs tighter and tighter as my eyes gaped in horror.
The 1.5 kilometer walk didn't get me exhausted. But somehow, I no longer feel my legs; It's as if I were staring medusa in the eye.
I struggled to regain my composure as my shortness of breath overwhelmed me.
My eyes were wide open as I gaze at a puddle of blood on the floor.
I felt dizzy by the disgusting stink of blood, hence I lost my footing and crumbled to the ground. Though I managed to use my arm as an anchor and break my fall, my spirit kept falling.
Fresh blood stained the walls, and blood trailing to my parents' bedroom.
I gulped my terror away and tremblingly trudged towards the door. As I reached the door-knob and slid the door open, the deafening creaks echoed in my ears.
The door hit the wall, and the coppery stench instantly swamped my nostrils.
I was late—all that was left was my parents' remains.
Their limbs were chained against the wall as blood ran down from their fresh, headless corpses.
Red juices paddled at my feet.
Blood flooded—and so did my tears.