Falling Away #Watty 2023

•Chapter 10•

"I'm glad you decided to take this test earlier than the date I gave you," Mr. Collen said as he placed the A4 sheet on my table and walked back to his seat.

I examined the questions for a while, and a brave smile escaped my lips. This seemed easy, and most of the questions were the ones Betty and Sam explained to me a few days ago. I picked up my pen and began to fill in the answers, confident in my responses. Until the following day, when Mr. Collen gave me back the exam sheet, clearly displaying a bold F.

"What the hell!" I screamed. "Why did I get an F on this subject? Mr. Collen!" I stood up and walked to his desk.

Trina and her minions roared in laughter as I turned to glare at them. I was beyond mad.

I grabbed him by his collar and shook him; the entire class gasped. No one expected that, but it didn't seem like enough to me. I was fuming. "I tried my very best to study for this test. I deserve to receive a high score. But an F is too harsh," I growled as I released him from my grasp and returned to my seat. "I don't deserve this." I crossed my arms and pouted.

Mr. Collen coughed before answering, "It's not about what you deserve, Miss Hughes. I marked your test fairly enough. It's not my fault that your results are so low; your answers are completely off the mark."

"How can it be? I deliberately answered the questions. I know I don't deserve this," I snapped and stood up again to face him.

"Cross-check it now! I'm sure you were out of your mind when you were marking this," I said, pointing at the score on the sheet but catching a glance of the handwriting on it.

"This isn't my handwriting!" I turned to face the class. "Who the hell did this!"

"If you studied harder, you would have gotten a B, Zoey. Stop creating a scene," Trina stood up with a smirk plastered on her dark face.

Mr. Collen stood behind his desk, hands gripping the sides of it tightly and eyes glaring into mine. He didn't look angry or disappointed but rather annoyed. "Miss Hughes, I've had enough of your insolent behavior. You're disrupting my class."

I couldn't let this slide; it's my future someone is toying with.

I returned to my seat with the paper, tapping furiously on the desk. The rest of the class just stared at me, no one trying to help me or speak out for me.

"All she does these days is fail, F queen," I heard Trina tell Tori as they both chuckled.

I'd heard enough of this crap!

I stood up and walked toward where Trina sat with her minions, whispering and gossiping about me. That was when I noticed her handwriting matched with the one on the test sheet.

"You exchanged my answer sheet, didn't you?" I screamed at her.

She stood up and rolled her eyes. "What makes you think so?"

Her words angered me as I tried to control my temper. "Your handwriting matches the one on the test sheet," I said, not wanting to personalize it.

She laughed and pushed me, and I staggered away. If it was a fight she wanted, then it was a fight she'd get! I slapped her hard on her cheek, and she slapped me back. This escalated quickly. We punched each other a bunch; it was so serious. I wanted to rip anything she represented into shambles. I felt Betty and Caroline trying to pull me away from her, and Trina's minions doing the same. The principal came to us in seconds and managed to drag us apart.

"You two are in huge trouble. To my office now," she ordered us and walked out of the class.

I walked into the principal's office and took a seat, while Trina did the same. Mrs. Tamara folded her hands on the table close to us.

"What's the problem with you two, Miss Hughes and Miss Walter?" She asked. "I can't agree to any excuses you have to say because I know you're okay now, Miss Hughes. So don't tell me that you're sick or something, that's why you fought in class."

"That wasn't the case, Zoey accused me of changing her test paper, she slapped me first!" Trina said.

"Accused is a small word when you're truly the culprit," I said with a smirk. "Mrs. Tamara, please take a look at the handwriting on this book and this test sheet." She nodded as she opened the test paper.

"Both match. I'm sure I got an F because of her!"

Trina glared at me, but deep down, I could sense she was scared, caught in her own self-stupidity, thinking she can make my life miserable. Mrs. Tamara looked at me, then back at the test sheet.

"Miss Walter, I believe you have an explanation on why you did this?" She asked calmly but sternly.

I stared at the principal in front of me, then slowly turned my attention to Trina. She was speechless for a while. "Please, ma'am, I would never do such a thing. I'm a great student, and I am well aware of the rules. I would never do such a thing, Zoey is lying, Mrs. Tamara."

"I couldn't understand how you could lie when the evidence is in front of you. Trina!" I spat out, my blood boiling hot inside my veins. All the anger that I felt before came rushing through. My vision blurred as Trina kept on lying.

"Then whose handwriting is this?" Mrs. Tamara asked. "Is this yours, Miss Walter?" Trina's face contorted in agony.

I looked at the test sheet again. Of course, it's hers. Trina changed my test paper; she wanted me to fail because of what I said to her. She wanted to ruin my future. But it ends today.

I looked at her, and all I saw was fear in her eyes and tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

"I'm waiting for your reply, Miss Walter," Mrs. Tamara said, staring directly at Trina.

"It's mine," she replied softly, almost like a whisper.

"How could you do such a thing, Miss Walter? I've always known you for good deeds. What made you change?" Mrs. Tamara crossed her fingers. "You know the school rules. I want to talk to your parents tomorrow before deciding your punishment. And for you, Zoey, I know you're the victim here. But fighting is against the school rules, so I'm giving you detention for two weeks."

Detention! I could manage that.

I turned to Trina and smiled. "Next time, before doing something to ruin someone's future, think it through with your minions! Thanks, Mrs. Tamara!"

I stood up to leave, but Trina stopped me. She looked up at the ceiling with closed eyes and sighed. She wiped her tears off and took another breath before looking at me and saying, "I'm sorry, Zoey. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to do all that," she added in a whisper.

After seeing her reaction, I knew she really regretted messing up my answers. For some reason, I felt bad for her. I knew I was mean to her that day she asked for my help. Trying to get back at me was way stupid of her.

I mean, I'm rude to everyone. She shouldn't have taken it personally.

"I'm out of here!" I pushed my hair to my left shoulder proudly and walked out of the principal's office proudly but bumped into Liam. We both fell to the ground, and at the same time, what he was holding did too.

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