Chapter 3 Unrepentant

Someone furtively tucked their stationery cases away, while others looked away from Erin. Erin had been teaching for a long time, so their reactions told her that her students were planning to cheat. Even so, it didn't make her any less shocked.

"You all hid something in your cases? Who? How many of you, and who proposed this?"

Queenie stepped onto the podium and beamed. "I proposed it. And I was fair about it too. So, everyone in this class has it, but Josephine was too foolish to accept my help. Don't worry. It'll work in your favor if we score high. Just get ready for the interview, Ms. Lawson."

Erin grabbed Queenie and shouted, "You're planning to cheat? What are you thinking? It doesn't matter if you flunk the college entrance exam, but your entire life will go up in smoke if you get caught cheating!"

Queenie's eyes went red, and she put on the look of a hurt cat. "I just want the class to score well."

Michael couldn't stand seeing her cry. So, he stepped forth and pulled Queenie behind him. "We're honors class students, Ms. Lawson! You can't reprimand us right before the big day! You might make us lose confidence!"

The other students swiftly defended Queenie.

"Yeah! There's nothing wrong with her caring about our scores. You should be thanking her, not yelling at her!"

"She's getting evaluated, too. I bet she's just like Josephine, worried that Queenie might steal her thunder!"

Those people started praising Queenie for being thoughtful. Erin's eyes went wide with disbelief. "This is the college entrance exam! If you get caught cheating, it'll be a stain on your academic record, and you'll be banned from taking the exam ever again!"

Michael sneered. "We won't get caught if Josephine keeps her trap shut. There's no way the proctor would go against a whole honors class."

Erin was so overwhelmed by anger that she nearly couldn't form a coherent sentence. Eventually, she spat, "You think the proctor cares if you're an honors class student? They only care about fairness!"

Michael retorted matter-of-factly, "You should be hoping that we'll score well. So, why are you stopping us from doing just that? I bet you're working with Josephine to make sure she's the top scorer!"

I had to silence the bubble of laughter creeping up my throat. I could barely believe that this big idiot thought his plan would work perfectly if I were excluded from the equation.

Erin sensed that there was no reasoning with this bunch of unruly kids. So, she tried to take their stationery cases. "Open them up! I'm going to check them!"

To her surprise, the whole class refused to listen to her. In their eyes, they were sure that Erin and I were in cahoots to stop them from scoring well, and they didn't hesitate to vent their displeasure.

"You're a failure of a teacher! You've been controlling us for three years, and now you won't even let us take the college entrance exam how we want? Who do you think you are?"

"It doesn't matter if we flunk it or if we get caught! We can make our own decisions!"

Erin couldn't believe that her usually brilliant students would say something so foolish. She went red with rage and disappointment. Alas, she was so worked up that she couldn't voice her grievances.

…

Meanwhile, Queenie smiled at Erin and me smugly now that she'd achieved her goal. Michael even wagged his notes challengingly at our faces and turned around, gathering the class for a karaoke session to wind down.

Everyone else agreed and left despite Erin's vehement protests. I watched them leave and felt nothing at all.

Their fates would be sealed the moment we stepped into the hall, as every unauthorized item that was brought into the exam hall would be seen as a tool for cheating.

I was well aware of that because the proctors had meticulously checked everyone's stationery cases right after the papers were distributed in my previous life.