Chapter 64: See You Next Year
JULIA
I was in the teacher’s office, waiting for Mrs. White to fetch her cup of coffee from the lounge. I looked around and glanced at my watch periodically.
I could already guess what had happened, so I unconsciously clenched my jaw. “Heather,” I whispered, looking around to see if she was there. However, she wasn’t.
Of course, she didn’t want to involve herself in this.
Finally, Mrs. White arrived with her coffee and our art project.
She sat on the chair and was silent for a while. She merely looked at me, staring straight into my soul.
Meanwhile, I looked at the final art piece. It wasn’t bad at all. However, the background really looked out of place. It seemed like Heather didn’t do anything with my painting of Evan, too,
“Miss Johnson, is it?” she started off.
I pursed my lips and nodded. “That’s me,” I said.
“Hmm, you’re proud of that, aren’t you?” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Umm, what’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“That’s not important,” she said, brushing off my question
“Your art piece is very nice,” she continued, holding onto the canvas board. “Especially the painting of this young man. It pays so much attention to detail. Heather has done a great job.”
My brows furrowed.
“The background seems a bit out of place, but since my student is an amateur artist, I could forgive the mistake.
“What I can’t forgive, on the other hand…” she continued, leaning against the table. “…are students who don’t participate in group projects.”
I pursed my lips.
“I see,” I muttered.
It seemed like the Heather in my imagination was actually identical to the Heather in real life. Her sweetness was just a facade.
I cleared my throat and straightened my posture. “I painted the subject, ma’am,” I said, trying to sound as respectful as possible.
“It was Heather who painted the background. We both decided on the concept; however, she was unavailable most of the time due to her modeling gigs, so we never had much time to do the project together. I had finished painting our subject before we met again.”
“And there, she told me she would work on the background by herself,” I added, telling the truth.
“Another thing that I don’t appreciate is liars, Miss Johnson.”
I felt my body heat up from anger. “How am I a liar while Heather is telling the truth?” I exclaimed, my voice coming out louder than I had expected.
Chapter 64 See You Next Year
+25 BONUS
Some of the teachers turned toward our way, but I didn’t care.
Mrs. White sighed. “Don’t raise your tone now, young woman. You’re on hot waters, and you’re not doing anything to help your situation.”
I sighed and massaged my temples. “Then, can you please tell me why you’re certain I’m lying and why you would believe Heather so easily?”
“I did not believe Heather so easily,” she said. “She showed how she worked on the project on her own. Along with that, she was a straight–A student before she dropped out a few years back. And lastly,” she added with a small smile.
“The Maisons are a reputable family. They had raised their daughter well.”
I pursed my lips. She should have just said the last reason in the very beginning.
So, this was what it was.
It was because Heather had a great reputation that preceded her, while I didn’t.
“It’s unfair,” I said, shaking my head.
“Well, do you have any proof that you also worked on the project?”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I don’t have a video of me doing the project,” I said.
“Do you want me to paint him again?” I asked, hating how even had to suggest such a thing in the first place.
Mrs. White chuckled, taking a sip from her hot coffee. Oh, how I wanted to tip it over right then and there. But hey, I might actually get arrested.
“I think you know that I don’t give out second chances,” she said.
I froze, looking into her eyes. There wasn’t a hint of joking in them. She was dead serious.
“I am a woman of my word, and there is a reason why a lot of students work hard on their last year. It’s because of me,” she proudly said.
“I had failed a lot of students. That is my legacy,” she continued.
“Doesn’t that say a lot about how you teach, though?” I asked before I could stop myself.
She halted and glared at me. “What did you say?”
I looked away. “Nothing, ma’am,” I muttered.
“So, with this, I shall be giving you a zero for this project,” she said. “Not only that, but this is the only integral project I am giving out for this semester.”
all over muh
I felt like a bucket of cold water was poured all over my body.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“You’re excused,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Integral projects are worth 30% of our grade,” I said.
I know that,” she said with a smirk.
“If I get a zero on this, then I’m going to fail–even if I do get perfect scores for the rest of the projects and exams.”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 64: See You Next Year-
And that, too, was nearly impossible because she made them so difficult.
“Hmm,” she nodded once more, acting like there wasn’t anything wrong with what I was saying.
“I wouldn’t be able to pass this subject at all then, ma’am, I said, laying it down concisely. “Your subject is a requisite for graduation. And it won’t be offered for the next semester.”
“Yes,” she calmly said. “That’s why you should have thought sooner before deciding to free–load on your partner.”
“Mrs. White,” I said, my voice growing softer.
“What do you want me to do, Miss Johnson?” she asked. “Rules are rules. You aren’t the first student to experience this. So, I hope you take it as a lesson.”
Then, she stood from her seat, leaving no room for argument.
“I guess I’ll see you next year, Miss Johnson,” she said with a smirk, not looking remorseful at all.
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