The week goes well- I mean- until Friday. I skip into class and slump down in my chair.
"Alright class, we are going to work on this new lesson today! Then, I will give back all the grades from the test a few classes ago." The teacher says.
I quiver in my seat. I'm pretty sure I got a good grade, though. It's probably fine. But- what- what if I didn't? Ooh! I have a nice grade in math! Ninety-four! It might go down to eighty-nine! The class goes well, however. I get my work done and don't think about the test all that much. I just talk around my table, annoying them along the way.
"Alright. That lesson finished fast, so I am going to hand out all the tests. Most people did pretty well, so don't worry." The teacher says. I sigh in relief, yet I don't feel content just yet. I hear the paper swift around over desks as she hands them out. Not many seem tense about their grade, but I can still see petrified faces. I start to bite on my knuckles. Soon enough- swish. The paper landed flat on my desk, upside down. I close my eyes lightly and slowly flip over the paper as I open my eyes. My heart beat speeds up. My veins pump with anger and my eyes pump with it as well. Soon enough, my tears drip onto the paper. I cried almost enough to cover the pen marks. The thick blue pen marks thrown all around my paper. It's clear people are watching me, but I don't care. I cross my arms in front of me and let tears roll from my eyes.
I slowly put my head up and look around. Now, everyone seems content with their grades. I look down to see what I did wrong, but I immediately look back up to scour the room for people I can sympathize with.
A few minutes later, class ends and I stumble out to pack my bag. Are you kidding me? That was the easiest test ever and I failed?! Why am I so bad? I think, shoving the wet page into my bag. Hopefully Cara can help me. Arghh- why am I thinking about girls now?! Just because I got a horrible grade, I expect someone to sympathize with me? I'm pathetic! I march home disappointedly and I climb onto my bus.
"Hey." Liem says.
"Hi." I say, sadly. He faces towards me.
"Dude, what happened?!" He asks.
"My test happened." I said angrily.
"The math one?" Liem says, feeling concerned for me.
"Yeah." I sigh.
"You mind if I see the page?" He asks me politely, yet concerningly.
"Sure," I say, unzipping my backpack and reaching around. Swiftly, I pull out the wrinkled paper and hand it to him. His face drops and his mouth goes open slightly. I see his eyes race through the paper.
"Dude! They graded this wrong. You should have- like- six more points!" Liem says, angrily.
"Really? Don't play with me." I say, grabbing the paper from him.
"Question six, dude!" He says.
"It seems that I did get it wrong." I say, moping.
"Yeah, but only one part! It's an eight point question! You should have only gotten two points off, but you got eight!" He says.
"C'mon! Talk to your teacher about this!" He encourages me.
"Why?" I ask.
"What do you mean, why? They got the grading wrong; that's why!" He says.
"But- they probably know what they're doing." I say.
"And I don't? Trust me, she made a mistake!" He responds, getting a bit agitated. I look down.
"C'mon! I'll go with you!" He says.
"Sure." I say.
"A'ight. Now move, I need to get off the bus." He says. I shuffle into the aisle and back as he leaves. I go home, really scared.
I feel like i'm stepping in concrete as I trudge to my house.
"Mom!" I say, whimpering.
"Yes? What happened?" She asks. She's always figured out what I'm feeling, no matter how much I hide it. I sigh.
"I got the math test back." I say.
"What'd you get?" She says, a bit angry.
"An eighty-four." I groan. She walks out of her room.
"Eighty-four?" She yells.
"Are you kidding?! You said it was easy." She says.
"Yeah, I thought it was, but I didn't!" I say, starting to whimper again.
"That's amazing!" She says, sarcastically. I sigh.
"Go to your room and do more math." She says. I walk up the stairs immediately.
The next day, I walk into my bus.
"So, did you send something to your teacher?" He asks.
"No." I say.
"Okay, fine. We're doing it today, okay?" He says.
"Do you have math today?"
"Yeah." I respond. Soon enough, math comes around and I get my stuff from my locker. I go to the classroom only to see Liem leaning on the wall.
"C'mon." He says. We both walk into the class and up to my teacher. He slaps my back. I open my binder and show the paper.
"Hello, Liem. Are you at the wrong class?" The teacher asks.
"No." He says.
"Well then why are you here?" She asks. I get out the paper. He grabs it from me.
"Aline and I have found a mistake in your grading." He says, slapping me in the back again.
"Well, let's see it." She says.
"On question six, we- he noticed that you deducted six extra points. I had gotten one part wrong, but you put the entire question as a zero out of eight." I say.
"May I have the paper?" She asks. Liem hands it to her. She scans the question and nods.
"Well, I guess you guys are right!" She says.
"I'm sorry, Aline. I will raise your grade to a- ninety-six and thank you, Liem for being such a great friend." She says. We both nod and he walks away.
"I told you!" He whispers.