Chapter 22
Yvonne ruled the school’s troublemakers like a queen bee, and no one wanted to cause themselves any trouble, so they all kept quiet, watching as she took out her frustrations on Daisy’s homework book.
Daisy returned to the classroom and as soon as she sat down, she noticed her homework was missing.
Just then, Lucia, the chemistry class representative started to press, “Hand in your homework to me, or I’ll tell the teacher and get you in trouble.”
Homework books don’t just walk away. In the class, there were only a few who had a grudge against her, and it didn’t take much to figure out who was responsible.
Turning her head, Daisy locked eyes with Yvonne’s taunting smile, as if she was saying, “What are you going to do about it this time?”
Lucia soon approached Daisy’s desk.
“Where’s your homework? Hurry up and hand it in,” she said, barely hiding her glee. “Daisy, I’m talking to you.”
Daisy looked at her, who was clearly enjoying this, and with a roll of her eyes, she pointed to the trash can behind her. “Where’s your homework? You’re the only one in our class who hasn’t turned it in,” said Lucia.
Daisy said, “Are you blind? I already showed you. My homework is in the trash can.”
“Ooh, Daisy, you realize your work is garbage,” Yvonne sneered from behind, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The bell rang for class, and with a triumphant look at Daisy, Lucia strode to the front with an armful of homework, her head held high.
“Ms. Garcia, Daisy’s the only one in our class who hasn’t handed in her homework!” she announced.
Anna Garcia was known for her stern demeanor. A woman well into her forties, she was at the peak of her menopausal mood swings, always ready to pounce on any student’s mistake.
Daisy, who had been absent from chemistry every time it was scheduled, had caught her attention. Hearing Daisy’s name, Anna felt an unusual thrill.
“Who is Daisy? Stand up and let’s see you,” she commanded.
All eyes in the room turned to Daisy, who rose from her seat with a slow and steady grace. The class, especially Yvonne and her friends, were on the edge of their seats, ready for a spectacle
Anna had expected Daisy to be a troublemaker, perhaps with heavy makeup and revealing clothes. But Daisy, with her fresh face and a clean white T–shirt, surprised her.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
“Are you Daisy?” Anna asked, not hiding her skepticism.
“Yes, Ms. Garcia, that’s me,” Daisy replied calmly, while Emma, sting nearby, was sweating bullets for her.
Anna was infamous as the school’s “witch.” Daisy, being new, had already missed several of her classes. Daisy had no idea of the formidable reputation of this “witch.”
“Why didn’t you do your homework?” Anna demanded.
“I did do it,” Daisy said.
“If you did, then why would the class representative say you didn’t hand it in?” Anna frowned, puzzled by Daisy’s audacity.
“Ms. Garcia, I did my homework, but it ended up in the trash for some reason,” Daisy explained, her voice filled with genuine frustration.
“Daisy, if you didn’t do it, don’t make excuses. You’ve hardly been to any chemistry classes since you joined Narston High. How could you possibly know how to do the homework?” Yvonne interjected, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
But that remark also reminded Anna of something. “Thanks to Yvonne’s reminder, I just realized that I’ve hardly seen you around, and I’ve heard from your homeroom teacher that you’re from Mistville, a remote and behind–the–times place. The education there can’t compare to that of Narston High.”
Standing at the podium, Anna looked smug, which Daisy found repulsive.
“Ms. Garcia, are you so sure that the teaching level in Mistville can’t compare to Narston High? Daisy’s confidence was palpable, and it made Anna feel a hint of nervousness for the first time in her classroom.
But then Arma reassured herself that Mistville, being so remote and behind–the–times, couldn’t compare to Narston High, which had the best college admission rates and the most students admitted to top universities. She had never heard of anyone from Mistville getting into a prestigious university.
“Daisy, if you admit you didn’t do your homework, I might consider forgiving you this time, Anna said, trying to coax a confession.
Just as everyone was ready for the show, a soft voice spoke up. “Ms. Garcia, my sister really did her homework. I saw her doing it last night,” said Laura. Her timid voice carried a hint of a plea, and since the last incident with Yvonne, many classmates had started to question her loyalty,
Today, standing up for Daisy was somewhat forced.
“If you really did your homework, why can’t you produce it? If it was thrown in the trash, why don’t you find it, Daisy?” Yvonne said.
She was prepared. She had not only torn Daisy’s homework but also spilled ink all over the torn papers, making it impossible to recognize anything, let alone a name.
“Right, Daisy, if you really did your homework, show it to us,” Anna echoed.
“I did do my homework, but I can’t hand it in, Daisy said.
“Then how can you make me believe you really did it?” Anna asked.
ipas “Why don’t you test Daisy on the spot? If she can answer, consider it as if she did her homework,” Yvonne suggested to Anna.
“Good idea. Daisy, I’ll write some questions on the board. If you can solve them, it will prove you did your homework yesterday,” Anna said,
Daisy nodded in agreement, but from behind her, Yvonne’s gloating voice could be heard. “Daisy, don’t make big promises you can’t keep. I’m afraid you won’t even recognize the chemical terms.”
Yvonne watched Daisy’s unchanging expression, eagerly anticipating the moment when she would be humiliated. What could a simple girl from a small village like Mistville po