"We apologize, Mr. James. We were delayed by something," Mark said with a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Olive, standing beside him, seemed lost in thought, her gaze drifting toward the floor. Mark cleared his throat, breaking the silence, and Olive's head jerked up, her eyes refocusing.
"We're sorry, Mr. James," Olive said, her voice barely above a whisper as she swallowed hard,
"Anyway, class is about to start. Please take a seat," Mr. James said, his tone firm but gentle. Olive and Mark nodded in unison, their movements mirroring each other's. Olive walked to her chair, her long legs carrying her across the room with a quiet grace. She dropped into her seat beside Lucas, her eyes avoiding his gaze. The English textbook she pulled from her bag thudded onto the desk, its worn cover creased and faded.
"Wait for me, Mr. James; I apologize for being late," a voice called out from the hallway, interrupting Mr. James as he began to speak. Aiden Thompson burst into the classroom, his face flushed, and his chest heaving.
"Have a seat; the class is about to start," Mr. James said, his expression patient. Aiden nodded and slid into the chair beside Mark, his eyes darting around the room.
"Why are the 3RM students studying with us in class today?" someone whispered, their voice barely audible. "I can't focus with them around... Do you think we'll all get the red card? I thought red cards were only for scholarship students..."
The students continued to gossip among themselves until Mr. James raised his voice, bringing the classroom to order. "I'm glad to see you all in class today. We will be participating in the national debate soon, and we need two representatives from our school." Mr. James announced, his eyes scanning the room. "These two students will represent us in the national debate."
Austin, seated in the back, spoke up, his voice laced with humor. "What kind of debate are we having, Mr. James? Is it about controversial topics?" He mimicked sexual gestures with his hands, eliciting laughter from the other students.
"The debate will not revolve around your unconventional topic, Austin," Mr. James said, his tone dry. "The chosen topic for the debate is: Should free college education be guaranteed for all? One side will argue in favor of the motion, while the other will oppose it. I have divided you all into pairs, and you and your seat partner will need to decide who will support the motion and who will oppose it."
Austin then turned to his boyfriend, who was sitting beside him, and said, his voice low and flirtatious, "Samuel, we're a match made in heaven, darling. We even got paired as a team."
Olive stood up, her body tensing, her eyes flashing with shock. "Mr. James!" she called out, her voice laced with shock.
"Is there a problem, Arthur?" Mr. James inquired, his eyebrows raised, his expression intrigued by Olive's sudden reaction.
"I don't want to be paired with him," Olive stated, her finger pointing at Lucas, her voice unwavering. "Can I choose someone else, please? The guy with the glasses used to be my seat partner, so I'm confused as to why Lucas is now my partner."
"I'm sorry, Arthur, but Lucas is the one I met today besides you, so he is your teammate. You and George Lucas should work together," Mr. James replied, his tone firm but gentle.
"He has never been to class all this while but suddenly appeared when there's a debate. I'm afraid he's not a serious person I can work with," Olive said, her voice laced with frustration, her eyes locked on Lucas, who was watching her with an unreadable expression.
"Teamwork brings out the best result. You both should work together, and that's final. It's been decided, so take your seat," Mr. James said, his tone firm, his eyes serious. Olive's face fell, her eyes dropping to the floor, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Remember, guys, this debate competition is national, and the winning parties will be given scholarships to study at any university of their choice, as well as gaining worldwide recognition," Mr. James continued, his smile wide, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Damn it! I'm screwed," Olive muttered to herself, her voice barely audible. She knew having Lucas as a teammate was a disaster in itself. How are things supposed to work out between her and school devil.
"The debate competition would commence in two months time. I urge all of you to be prepared by then. Best of luck!" Mr James said and then existed the classroom.
As soon as Mr. James left the classroom, the room erupted into chaos. Students were chatting, laughing, and packing up their bags.
Lucas leaned in close to Olive, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. "Looks like you might be in for some trouble, Arthur. Let's see how long you can handle it," he whispered, his eyes glinting with mischief.
Olive's face flushed with anger as she quickly gathered her belongings. She tried to brush past Lucas, but he grabbed her hand, his grip tight. "Who the hell do you really think you are?" he sneered, his eyes blazing with anger. "You want to walk out on me!"
Olive's voice was low but firm. "Someone who can't stand you rich brats and would never succumb to you. Now, let go of me this moment." Lucas released her hand abruptly, and Olive stumbled backward, her face red with rage.
As she stormed out of the classroom, Mark chased after her.
"Olive, wait up! Lucas wouldn't stop making your life miserable. What the hell does he want from you?" he asked, panting heavily as he reached her locker.
Olive's anger boiled over. "He's just a crazy jerk who thinks he can intimidate everyone because he's an heir to this school. But he's really just a loser," she spat, her eyes flashing with anger."I'm not surprised though, that's how you rich brats behave."
Mark frowned, his expression concerned. "I'm not like that, Olive. I'm different. And I heard Lucas visited your dorm last night. How are you holding up?"
"Yes I punched him in the nose," Olive said , her voice tinged with frustration. "I can handle the bullying, but being paired with him for the debate is a whole different challenge. And it's not just any debate, Mark. It's the national competition, and I need to win that scholarship to get into college."
Mark's eyes widened in surprise. "Punched him in the nose? You're quite brave, dude!" he exclaimed, bursting into laughter. "But why does the debate matter so much to you? It's just a regular debate."
Olive's face fell, her eyes filling with desperation. "It may be just a scholarship to you wealthy individuals who can afford any university, but for scholarship students like me, it means everything. And I'll do whatever it takes to win it." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Mark looking concerned and unsure of what to do next.