Searching for Love, Found Wealth

She would surely be scared of failing. It was embarrassing especially when her twin was a topper.

“I’d call it this way. I’d assign the toppers to teach the bottom kids. If you’re assigned a teacher then you’re at the bottom list” the teacher watched us to check if we understood.

Then she began reciting, “Jasper coach Mary. Nancy coach Chris. Jennifer coach Sheena. Jacob coach Betty. Reuben coach Chloe. Understood?”.

Reuben’s loud voice shouted, “Yes ma”.

“Good. I’ll be back” the miss left the class.

I turned to Reuben. That dude almost burst my ear drums. He looked like he was back to his bubbly mood.

I was glad not to be the bottom kids but I remembered Sheena’s name was mentioned.

When I turned to her, her eyes were watery. And the wicked teacher had even assigned her own sister to teach her. Heartless.

“My mom would talk about this” she whimpered. She placed her head down and I knew she was going to cry.

Her spoken English looked fine. Maybe writing was her problem.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Jennifer came around sharing the books back, she slammed Sheena’s book on her table. It was obvious she was displeased and embarrassed.

“I may not have time to coach you. Kiera could you do it?” Jennifer looked Sheena over, then sent a fake smile my way.

Sheena had already raised her head from the table but didn’t lift her head.

“Don’t be like that. Help her” I said softly.

“Yeah, you aren’t a topper for nothing” Chloe muttered but Jennifer heard her.

“Well, I am a topper but Sheena might never be one with someone like you who fails all the time being her friend” she slammed Chloe’s book on her table. Chloe eyed her but Jennifer left to other tables.

Okay, so I wasn’t ready for another fight but that was surely not how I expected someone running for Nicest Student to behave. Or were the voting in this school based on popularity and not actual merit?

“Don’t mind her? I’m gonna be a dancer in the future I don’t need grades. They aren’t so important” Chloe assured Sheena but she tossed Chloe’s hand away, surprising me and Chloe.

“Well, I don’t want go be a dancer like you. I want to be a vet. How will I get there with my grades?” she sobbed.

I exhaled. I thought she was going to make a major outburst and call Chloe a failure of something.

Chloe consoled her again and advised her to go on her own pace, not to overdo her capability and work hard on what she can do.

That advice hit me hard. I should also no try overdoing more than my capabilities.

My competitive aura wanted to compete for Top Student. It wasn’t bad to dream big but don’t stress much or you’ll wear down.

Sheena was extra cautious in our next English classwork and listened extra more. I readily answered any questions she had.

“Kiera Martinez Bob?” the English teacher called out in the middle of the class. I rose my head up to face her.

“Are you a Martinez?” she furrowed her eyebrows. Was that a thing? A Martinez? My surname seemed to be Martinez so I was. I nodded, “I am, ma”.

Chloe gave me a suspicious look. Jennifer glanced at me but quickly looked away.

“You’re sure or you’re just an ordinary Martinez?” the teacher asked with a sterner voice.

I exhaled. Was there ordinary and unordinary?

“Miss, that’s not right. Everyone’s surname is unordinary. You don’t know the story it has” Reuben spoke up.

Jennifer nodded. I felt good they were standing up for me but I’d really like to know if they were two types of Martinez.

“Oh, well” the teacher gasped and continued her lessons but she did keep looking at me from time to time.

Sheena tapped me and started talking about a memory our teacher’s flowers gown reminded her off. Of some wedding she had attended back at India.

She seemed really excited to tell me about it bit that would mean we won’t be concentrating in class and out teacher just got to a new subtopic.

I didn’t know how to tell her to tell me later. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I just half listened and randomly said “wow” and “hmm” from time to time.

Jennifer was now glancing at us and I knew if she could shut Sheena up, she would.

Turns out she could as she suddenly said, “Sheena Avinesh, kindly skip whatever you’re saying till after class”.

Sheena fell silent and all eyes went to her. I nudged Jennifer but she was adamant.

“Listen more students, that’s how you pass classwork” the teacher said to us, directing to Sheena anyway.

Jennifer had a smug look on her face and I could tell she was as evil as Cara had said she was, only quite tactical and calm.

“So, who can tell me the noun in apposition of this sentence, “Sarah, the girl of my dreams, is arriving today”? Anybody?” the teacher looked around.

I tried my best to avoid the teachers gaze while thinking of the answer. Sheena was facing the opposite direction totally.

The teacher added that toppers shouldn’t answer and I noticed Chloe clenching her fists.

I glanced at my book and found a similar question. I wasn’t very sure of my answer but I rose my hand up.

The teacher nodded at me. I felt like slamming my hand back to my lap as everyone was now looking at me.

“The answer… answer is… um… “the girl in my dreams”?” I looked down at my hands.

Jennifer had a approving look so did the teacher bit she just told me to sit down. Like she couldn’t say “good job” or something nice.

“That was easy I guess, right, Martinez?” the teacher said as she wrote our classwork.

Well, for someone who wasn’t very smart. That was luck with the little wit I mustered and that wasn’t easy.

While copying the classwork, with the teacher no gone, I felt someone throw a ball of paper on me. Students were leaving the class to sign up gym.

I was sour at mood so I turned sternly.

Reuben immediately pointed at Jasper and Jasper looked surprised. I smiled suddenly. Reuben was just a happy pill.

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