Chapter 3

Applications would close in the next twenty minutes.

At that point, the door to the room was kicked open with a great crash.

Our school counsellor, Mitchell Frank, rushed in, sweating heavily.

He was in his fifties and was usually all smiles. Right then, he was supremely angry. He was clutching a stack of papers printed from the backend system tightly.

“Have you all gone nuts?”

Mr. Frank’s voice was distorted with rage. He rushed onto the stage and brought up the numbers from the backend system. He pointed at the screen, his hand shaking.

“All of you, all fifty-four of you have applied to Galaxy Technical College? Do you know what kind of colleges you can get into with your grades? You’re ruining your lives!”

A good number of my classmates lowered their heads in shame.

Mr. Frank took out his phone. “No, I have to call your parents immediately! You can still change your minds while there’s still time.”

“You can’t do that, Mr. Frank!”

Kenneth reacted immediately. He was like a wild beast as he lunged forward to grab Mr. Frank’s phone.

“What are you doing, Kenneth? Give me the phone back!” Mr. Frank was so enraged that he was shaking all over.

“I won’t!” Kenneth was infuriated. “Mr. Frank, you don’t know what things are like now! I thought you were trying to save us, but really, you’re just stopping us from getting rich!”

Silena ran over, shouting loudly, “That’s right, Mr. Frank. You’re too far behind the times! Do you want us to graduate from useless Ivy League schools and end up working as couriers?

“After signing this contract, we’re all going to get salaries of a million dollars once we graduate! Can you get us the same?”

Ivana led a few male classmates and rushed up to form a human wall, forcing Mr. Frank into a corner of the stage.

Mr. Frank looked at the students he had been shepherding for the past four years, his eyes filled with despair. “A-Alright, if you don’t want to change your choices, I’ll cut the Wi-Fi! I’ll cut the electricity!”

“Stop him! Don’t let him do it!” Kenneth roared.

At that critical moment, I walked out from my corner and blocked the path to the junction box.

“Give it up, Mr. Frank,” I said calmly as I looked at him. “We’re adults and should be responsible for our own choices. Kenneth is right. This is where the trend is going. Let us make our own choices. Even if we fail, it’s on us.”

My words sounded final and decisive.

My stand as the top performer in class became the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Mr. Frank stared at me dumbly, looking as though he had never known me at all.

He tried to speak for a long time but finally gave up, his hands falling to his sides. He looked like he had aged ten years in a blink.

“Alright.” After letting out a bitter laugh, Mr. Frank took two steps back. “I’m only trying to help you, but good advice isn’t always taken. Forget it. Just don’t regret this in the future.”

After saying that, Mr. Frank turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut.

At 5:00 p.m. on the dot, the application system officially closed.

Deafening cheers filled the room.

Kenneth looked overjoyed when he walked over to me. “You really helped make this happen, Georgia. Good job! If you hadn’t come forward, Mr. Frank would have ruined it for all of us.

“Once we start getting paid our million-dollar salaries, we’ll show Mr. Frank who was right!”

I nodded, smiling. “Great. I’ll be waiting for the day all of you come back in your fancy cars.”