Chapter 8: Birds of a feather
1328 Words
Miss Loh entered the classroom to supervise the morning self-study session. The early rays of sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow on the room. The hum of quiet murmurs filled the air as students flipped through their books or doodled in their notebooks. After making her rounds, ensuring everyone was engaged—or at least pretending to be—her steps slowed when she reached Wen’s desk. After making her rounds, she stopped in front of Wen.
“Wen, come outside with me for a moment.”
Wen quietly placed her book down, the sound of the closing pages barely audible against the classroom’s background noise. She glanced briefly at Zhou Nan, who sat next to her, before following Miss Loh out into the hallway.
Miss Loh gestured to a bench nearby. “Take a seat.”
Wen sat across from Miss Loh. “Miss, is there something you want to discuss?”
Miss Loh gave her a warm smile. “How are you feeling about sitting with Zhou Nan?”
Wen answered honestly, “It’s fine. Zhou Nan is usually quiet—either sleeping or playing games. He’s not as scary as the rumors say, though he can be a bit fierce.”
Miss Loh nodded thoughtfully. “Alright. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, let me know.”
“I understand. Thank you, Miss.”
“Good. You can head back now.”
Wen pushed open the door and left.
In the adjacent office, a teacher turned to Miss Loh. “Is she a new transfer student? I heard she’s a good student.”
Miss Loh sipped her water and replied, “Yes, she just transferred here. She ranked in the top ten at a prestigious school in City B.”
The female teacher raised an eyebrow. “You paired this well-behaved student with Zhou Nan?” She had taught Zhou Nan before and knew him to be a troublemaker—often skipping classes or fighting.
Miss Loh set her cup down, her expression firm yet understanding. “He’s not a bad kid. Just... rough around the edges.”
Freshly graduated, Miss Loh had taken over Class 17 from its previous head class teacher. When she first started, she heard rumors about the class being full of troublemakers and that it had the worst academic performance in the school—especially the notorious troublemaker who always sat in the back row.
The previous head class teacher, a gentle woman, had handed over the class to Miss Loh because she was pregnant. She assured her that the students might be rowdy, but they weren’t bad at heart.
Miss Loh later found this to be true.
The first class of the day was Miss Loh’s. She entered the room with a math book in hand and called out over the noisy chatter,
“Alright, quiet down. Class is starting.”
The room quickly settled down.
“The first trial exams are coming up soon,” Miss Loh announced. “Prepare well. The tests will take place next Thursday and Friday.”
A collective groan rose from the students.
“Ms.Loh, it’s barely the start of the semester. Why a test already?”
Miss Loh adjusted her glasses. “It’s a baseline test to see how well you retained last semester’s knowledge and what you’ve learned over the summer.”
“Summer? Who studies during summer vacation?”
Miss Loh chuckled. “I’m not asking for miracles. Just try not to let our class come in last again. Put in some effort. If you have questions, come see me in the office anytime.”
“I’ll try not to score in the single digits.”
“Just let me avoid a zero, and I’ll be happy.”
Miss Loh tapped the desk lightly. “Alright, let’s start the lesson.”
As soon as class ended, Yong Ming couldn’t resist quipping, “Last semester, I failed physics and got a taste of my mom’s leather belt. My butt still hurts just thinking about it.”
Hao Ming chimed in, “I only scored three points higher than you, and my mom called me a disgrace and told me not to come home.”
“Not coming home is nothing. My mom chased me for three streets away with a stick.”
“You gain my respect, man.”
Wen listened quietly to their banter, glancing up at them before lowering her gaze again.
The next class was English. Yong Ming debated whether to wake Zhou Nan, who was dozing next to him. Either way, he risked getting scolded.
As he hesitated, a delicate hand reached over, and a soft voice interrupted, “Class is starting soon. Wake up…”
Yong Ming stared at Wen in awe. “I declare her my new goddess.”
“Let me count how many goddesses you’ve had this semester.”
“Shut up.”
Zhou Nan, groggy from being woken, glanced at Yong Ming. “Shut your mouth.”
A soft voice interrupted him. “Miss Loh didn’t give me an English textbook. Can I share yours? If it’s too much trouble…”
Zhou Nan tossed his pristine English textbook onto the desk. “Use it. I don’t need it.”
Wen smiled at him. “Thank you.” She opened the book, placed it in the middle of the desk, and nudged it toward him. “Let’s share.”
Zhou Nan glanced at the book she’d pushed toward him. He wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but when their eyes met, he pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Fine. If she wanted to share, so be it.
During class, Wen sat attentively, her back straight. A lock of hair framed her face, and her loose-fitting uniform highlighted her delicate frame. Her thin, fair wrist looked so fragile it seemed like it might snap with a touch.
The tall boy in front of her blocked her view of the board. She straightened, craning her neck to see.
A voice beside her asked, “Can’t see?”
“The last line.”
Zhou Nan picked up his pen, copied the last line onto a sheet of paper, and placed it on her desk.
“Zhou Nan, stand up and answer this question,” Ms. Christine suddenly demanded.
Zhou Nan glanced at the board. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t know? Then what were you passing notes to your seatmate for? If you’re not going to study, what do you plan to do after graduation? Do you think your parents sent you here to waste their money?”
Zhou Nan said nothing. He stood up and walked straight out of the classroom.
The teacher, Ms.Christine, continued berating him. “Walking out? Where's your respect for your teacher ?!”
The tension in the room was palpable. Yong Ming, sensing the situation was spiraling, jumped up, covering his nose dramatically. “Miss, I have a nosebleed. I need to go out. I’ll be back soon.”
Before Ms.Christine could respond, Yong Ming darted out.
Ms.Christine turned to Wen, who had stood up silently.
“It was my fault. I couldn’t see the board and asked him for help. He wasn’t passing notes.”
She held up the “note”—a neatly written copy of the board’s content.
Ms.Christine couldn’t bring herself to apologize. “Fine. But don’t pass notes during class. Ask questions after class.”
Wen nodded. “Understood. I’ll stand outside as punishment.”
The room fell silent as she walked to the door, her composure unwavering. Ms. Christine watched her go, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. Wen’s actions had been admirable, but something about her irked the teacher. Perhaps it was her quiet confidence or her willingness to stand up for a student like Zhou Nan.
In Ms. Christine’s mind, birds of a feather flocked together. Surely, Wen wasn’t as perfect as she seemed.
- Writer
