Chapter 3: Consequences and Guilt
When I saw my teacher's car parked outside, I took a deep breath and walked inside the house. Mom and my teacher were sitting on the sofa, deep in conversation. By the look on Mom's face, I knew the teacher had already told her about my blank exam papers. And on top of that, there was something else—Mom didn't know that I spent an extra hour wandering around before heading home after school. I swallowed nervously as they both turned to look at me.
Mom's eyes were locked onto me, a clear sign that she was angry. I bit my lip, trying to brace myself. "Good evening, Teacher," I greeted her.
"Good evening, Elara," she replied with a calm but serious tone. "I was just discussing your behavior with your mother."
I kept my head down, avoiding Mom's eyes. Finally, she broke the silence. "Where were you for one hour after school?"
I gulped and, without thinking, lied. "I went to Olivia's house."
Mom didn't believe me, but thankfully, she didn't press the issue further in front of the teacher. Instead, she moved on to the bigger issue. "You told me your exams went badly, but you didn't tell me that your papers were completely blank." Her voice was eerily calm, which I knew from experience was a sign that she was furious.
I stayed silent, knowing there was nothing I could say to defend myself.
Teacher sighed and chimed in, "Madam, I think she simply isn't interested in studying. If she doesn't want to do it herself, no matter what we do, it won't help."
Mom nodded in agreement. "I know, but I can't leave her like this. I give you full authority to do whatever you need to make her study. I don't want to see her fail again."
I looked down, knowing I was at fault. But every time I opened my textbooks, I just couldn't bring myself to focus—it was all so boring. "Mom, I'm sorry. I'll do better next time, I promise," I mumbled.
Mom gave me a hard stare. "How many times have you told me that?"
I looked up at her, desperate to make her believe me this time. "Mom, this time I mean it. I'll really try harder."
She didn't seem convinced. Instead, she turned to my teacher. "What do you think we should do?"
The teacher thought for a moment. "I think we should pair her up with a good student, someone who can study with her and keep her on track."
Mom raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure the poor kid won't go mad trying to teach her? I'm a teacher myself, and I haven't been able to manage it."
I felt embarrassed but said nothing.
Teacher smiled a little. "We don't have many options. Let's try this and see how it goes. I'll choose someone responsible to pair her with, and we'll monitor her performance."
Mom agreed, "Alright, pair her with whoever you think will help her, and even if it requires staying after school, I'm fine with that."
I stayed quiet, but my mind was racing. Who would she pair me with? Alaric was the first name that popped into my head. He was the teacher's favorite, and she always acted like he was a genius. I felt sick just thinking about studying with that smug bastard.
Finally, I couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Teacher, who are you going to pair me with?" I asked.
Teacher gave me a thoughtful look. "We'll have to see. It's not easy to find someone who can handle you." She smiled, as if half-joking. "I'll tell you tomorrow."
I nodded, even though I wasn't thrilled with the idea.
As the teacher stood to leave, Mom thanked her for coming, and I quickly slipped away to my room, knowing I was in for another round of scolding once the teacher left. But surprisingly, Mom didn't say anything.
I lay down on my bed, replaying the whole conversation in my mind. What was going to happen tomorrow? Who would I be paired with? The thought made me restless. I tried to take a nap, but soon drifted into a deep sleep. In my dreams, I was at a water park, swimming and having fun. It was a blissful escape.
"El, are you going to wake up or not?" Mom's voice called from downstairs, snapping me out of my dream. I glanced at the clock—it was already 9 PM. I jumped out of bed, shocked that I'd slept for so long. Quickly, I changed my clothes and hurried downstairs.
Mom was already eating dinner when I joined her at the table. She didn't scold me for sleeping so long, which surprised me. I quietly served myself some food, trying not to draw any attention.
"Elara, can I ask you something?" Mom's voice interrupted the silence.
I froze, shocked that she had used my full name. It was rare, and it usually meant something serious. "Y-yes, Mom?" I asked cautiously.
"Do you always wander around after school?" she asked, her tone calm but pointed.
I gasped, guilt rushing through me. I couldn't lie again. "Mom, I don't hate you or anything like that," I stammered.
Mom sighed deeply, looking tired. "No more, Elara."
I didn't know what else to say, so I left the table without finishing my dinner and went to my room. I tried to study, opening my math book, but after solving half a problem, I threw the book down in frustration.
When I lay on my bed after throwing my book in frustration, I realized I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing, so I grabbed the cellphone that was kept in my room and decided to call Olivia. After five rings, she finally picked up.
"Oli, the teacher came to my house today," I told her immediately.
She sighed and said, "It's not really a surprise, El, knowing what you did in the exam."
"Yeah, but now she's planning to pair me up with someone to study," I replied, feeling uneasy about the whole idea.
"I think she's going to pair you with Alaric. He's the brightest student in our class," Olivia said.
"That's what I thought too," I groaned. "It almost makes me want to vomit, thinking about studying with that brat."
Olivia chuckled. "I can imagine. But seriously, just go with it for now. We'll see how things go tomorrow."
I sighed, feeling a knot in my stomach. "I really don't want to do this, Oli."
"I get it," she said. "But don't overthink it. Just survive tomorrow. And who knows? Maybe it won't be as bad as you're imagining."
I let out a half-hearted laugh. "We'll see. Thanks, though."
"Stop stressing, El. Goodnight," she said, and the call ended.
I tossed my phone on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The idea of studying with Alaric made me sick. But Olivia was right, there was no point in stressing out until I knew for sure. Eventually, I fell asleep, still imagining the worst.
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