"Your results will be published next week on the bulletin board. Be sure to check it and collect your papers from the office. Should you have any questions regarding your results, please feel free to visit your respective teachers during their counselling hours. That is all for today, you are dismissed."
Our homeroom teacher, Mrs. Douglas, collected the papers scattered around her desk and tapped them on the surface. In front of her, the students began clearing out of the room, each wearing different expressions with regard to the mid-semester tests. Some wore nonchalant grins, others wore expressions of fear, and most of them boasted confident smirks in an attempt to mask their hidden uneasiness. I don't know about others but for me, it was easy to tell that the majority of the class were not as confident as they appeared.
Considering how nearly none of them paid attention during any of the lessons, I am honestly curious to see what the class average would be.
If there was one thing that differentiated this academy from other schools in the country, it was that it followed a tradition that many schools in Asia do; publishing results and rankings on the school bulletin board for all to see.
It shocked me the first time I heard about it. I hadn't expected this school to do something like that considering the high-profile 'clients' they received. For those that scored the lowest, they would ultimately receive the worst humiliation.
I wonder if any of the students have lodged a formal complaint against it.
"Again?! I thought it was just a one-time thing!" Don Velmont, the class jokester, moaned in exasperation to his friend, Gilbert Young.
They were standing close to me, talking by Gilbert's desk. As I packed my bag, I listened in to their conversation out of curiosity.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Don throw his body over Gilbert, leaning onto him much to the annoyance of the other who tried to shove him off.
"I should get my father to talk to the board about it. It's so...uncool!"
Gilbert scoffed and replied, "You can go ahead and try but I heard not even Melissa Moore's mother was able to change the board's mind, let alone the Principal's. It's the one thing this school will never compromise on no matter how powerful your family is."
My eyebrows shot up.
Well. That answered my question.
I hauled the straps of my bag onto my shoulders and pushed in my chair, ready to leave. Though I was curious to hear the end of the conversation, it wasn't any of my business. That and I planned to get some extra reading done in the library during this free period.
I left the classroom and walked down the hallway, heading straight towards my locker where I deposited the items I didn't need. As I was placing my mathematics textbook in the locker, I heard a commotion in the distance and glanced over to take a look. There was a large crowd of students huddled together, shouting various things.
"Yeah hit him!"
"Charles you piece of shit!"
"BAHAHA! Look at this guy!"
"Idiots! The whole lot of you! Someone get a teacher-"
"Tch what a fucking wimp~"
What is happening...?
Closing my locker, I walked over to the crowd and tiptoed once I reached the outer circle. Squinting my eyes, I was able to finally see just what was causing the ruckus.
At the centre of the circle, two boys were having a row.
I didn't recognize either of them meaning they most likely weren't in any of my classes. One boy was rather big while the other looked like a twig. Their size difference though seemed completely irrelevant though as the twig packed quite the punch and was able to knock back the other by a couple of steps. Both boys were bleeding from the lips and black eyes. Bruises were already starting to form on their cheeks. Around them, the students were cheering them on with their phones out, recording the fight.
"What happened?" a girl next to me asked her friend.
I quietly tuned in to listen.
Her friend smirked and said, "Phillip Sanders was being his usual jerk self but he pushed one too many buttons this time. Now he's getting his ass beat by Lawrence."
The girl gasped, "Lawrence? As in, that skinny-as-a-twig Lawrence?"
Her friend snorted, "Skinny or not, he's holding his own."
"Damn right, he is," I muttered under my breath. If anything, 'Lawrence' was having a total main-character moment. I mean, wow. He's really going for it.
Phillip, the supposed 'jerk' was getting totally plummeted.
"Oi! What is going on here?!"
The sound of Mr. Hernandez, the physics teacher, marched down the hallway towards us. The students immediately began parting like the sea to Moses and the surroundings quickly quietened down. The phones were still out and filming but more subtly. Not wanting to stick around any longer knowing the fight would most likely end soon now that a teacher was here, I slunk away from the crowd and made my way to the library.
——————[oo]——————
Seated in a cubicle in the private study section, I began reviewing the lessons.
Thoughts of the mid-semester test's results crossed my mind and I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't a little nervous. It wouldn't bother me as much if the results were kept private and only known to oneself but since they would be published for the entire school, the pressure of 'doing well' was doubled.
'I'll be fine.'
'I'll be fine.'
I said it like a mantra.
Releasing a sigh, I ran my hands down my face and rested my head on the table. Various notes and books were spread out in front of me and as my head touched the surface, the distinct smell of paper and ink wafted through my nose. My eyelids fell shut.
Over a month has passed since the whole 'You're not my daughter' fiasco.
Since then, I can't say anything much has changed. My fa- no, the man who took me in, stuck to his word and treated me more like a stranger who happened to be staying in the same place as him. He never once acknowledged my existence and neither did his sons. I was treated no differently to air.
Ms. Owens and Mr. Ken treated me the same as they always did and were nice. However, they no longer referred to Mr. Haynes as my father or the twins as my brothers. They were probably informed immediately after our conversation about the actual situation. If they thought anything of it, they were professional enough not to show they did. I did, however, have a faint feeling that they felt sympathy towards me. They always tried to cheer me up and chat with me whenever it seemed I was feeling down and I appreciated it. I would've gone crazy by now if I wasn't able to talk to anyone for an entire month so I was grateful to them for basically saving my sanity.
Whatever hurt or anger I had in my heart had long fizzled out. Now, I honestly didn't care.
Whether they hated me or not, it no longer mattered to me as all I really cared about was studying. Whatever happens in the future is unlikely to change that.
"Ahem."
My eyes flew open in shock as someone cleared their throat above me. I quickly straightened my back and sheepishly glanced at the librarian whose arms were crossed, glaring at me.
"No sleeping in the library," she stated coldly.
"S-Sorry ma'am!" I squeaked.
She released a snort and walked off, eyeing the other students to catch another one breaking the rules like me.
After she was a fair distance away, I released a sigh of relief and ran a hand through my hair.
'That was embarrassing.'