Checkpoint two of Alicia’s coursework had begun. The business proposal, the six-month projection, and the interview. Amongst the three, she dreaded the interview the most. It was encouraged to be an hour long, and done in groups to save the vendors their time.
Which meant she had to talk to her classmates. Again.
With great reluctance, Alicia dragged herself to desk after desk to ask for help, starting with Faizah. Girls would be easier to persuade, right?
Step one, introduce yourself, except Faizah already knew who she was. But how else could she start the conversation? Step two, handshake. Her classmates didn’t do handshakes. Step three, compliment. This step was still viable, at least.
“Nice earring, Faizah.” She started, forcing herself to look Faizah in the eye. Her glasses did not complement her face at all. Made her look like a grandma.
“Huh?” Faizah raised a brow.
“Would you like to form a group for FCE and interview the vendor together?”
“Oh… um…” Faizah scratched her head. “Sorry, we’re already in a group.” She pointed to her circle of friends.
“May I join—”
Faizah turned around.
Strike one.
For the first time, she empathised with her classmate’s complaints. As if this wasn’t hard enough, there was still the issue of her confiscated phone. Mr Lee gave a band-aid solution, and offered to open the computer lab for her whenever he was available after school, usually on Fridays.
Table-tennis was on Fridays.
The second classmate to ask was the one who bonded with her of their own volition: Kat. If she played her cards right, Alicia could even befriend her.
Turned out, Kat also had recess alone. Alicia seized the opportunity and sat next to her. Kat did not object to this; good start.
She skipped to step three, compliment. She studied Kat. Twice her size, round figure, wearing PE attire. It was against the dress code to wear one’s PE attire outside of PE. Kat balanced her phone on her lap and watched dog videos in secret.
“Your dog is cute.” Alicia started.
A teacher walked past. In one swift motion, Kat sandwiched her phone under her thigh, only pulling it out once said teacher was gone.
“Would you like to do the vendor interview together, as a group?”
“No.”
“Do you have a group I could join?”
“No, I don’t have a group.”
“I could form a group with you!”
“Nah, I don’t care.”
Alicia cringed. If Mom ever caught her talking like that, she would have a stroke. Did none of her classmates cared about their mothers at all? How ungrateful!
“What about your mom? She would be so disappointed in you if you failed your O’Levels.”
“She won’t.”
“Yes, she will. All her hard and money will be wasted. She will be so upset!”
“Ha. My mother isn’t like that.”
“What?”
Mom once told her a bedtime story of a thief. His mother never punished him for stealing, but congratulated it. As time passed, the thief wound up in jail for his crimes. When his mother came to visit, the thief bit her ear. He scolded her for failing to raise him right.
“Please stop slacking off and take your studies seriously! O’Levels are coming! Your grades on your O’Levels would determine the course of your entire future! If you don’t study now, you’ll end up making mistakes you regret forever!” Her heart pounded her ribs. Her breath ran short.
“Nah. I’m lazy.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying!” What does laziness have to do with obedience? Wasn’t it more exhausting to break the rules than follow it?
To be fair, following the rules also took effort. It was like trying to force a cap on a water hose, firing at maximum strength. Everything that came to mind had to be analysed: Is it disrespectful? Is it bothersome? Is it weird?
Alicia understood why someone would be too lazy to do said analysis. But alas, she was not that someone. She was not lazy.
“May I borrow your phone? I need it to do my coursework, since mine was confiscated.”
“Shut up. I’m eating.”
Another person who hated talking while eating. Interesting.
Strike two.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Everyone changed into their PE attire the moment they returned from the Chemistry Lab. Those who wished to save time changing wore their PE attire underneath their uniform beforehand. Those who wished to waste time changing took a leisurely stroll to the toilet.
“Hi Ying Wen.” She asked the girl closest to her. “Would you like to—”
Kevin, her boyfriend, wrapped a hand around her waist and they strolled to the toilet to waste time. Romantic relationships were against the rules, and a major distraction from their studies.
Strike three.
She was the only one still in class, still in her uniform. Changing as she ran, she madee it to the soccer field on time. She loathed PE to hell and back. Mr Kumar’s bloodcurdling whistle, and his military sergeant voice. Sports.
The monkeys found their jungle.
Mr Kumar was holding an inter-class soccer tournament today, where two teams went head to head in a bracket for the grand prize of a Kit-Kat bar. The other teams, meanwhile, sat and watched. One match only lasted for ten minutes. Ten minutes on the field was tolerable.
After spending ten minutes covering her ears and standing idly in the corner, she went down the benches to ask the rest of her classmates. Amongst those who bothered to answer, it was an unanimous no.
Strike ten-ish? She lost count.
She sandwiched herself between Kat and Ying Wen and watched the match. The ball flew left and right, left and right, then into the net, and everyone cheered. It was the same deal as smoking; so much fuss over nothing.
"Hey, wanna stay back after school today? 1v1 again?" Kat asked, nudging her to Ying Wen's side.
Today was the last day of detention. If only Kat asked her tomorrow. But wait, didn't Kat have detention as well?
"Don't you have detention?"
"Eh, I'll just skip it."
"They’ll give you more detention! And a second disciplinary warning. And they'll call your mom!"
"Oh my god, forget it!" Kat rolled her eyes.
"I could play with you tomorrow."
"I'm not free tomorrow. I have art class."
"Oh."
If she played with Kat, she could befriend her. Once befriended, she could persuade her to group up and do the interview. That was the solution for her FCE coursework.
If she skipped detention and they caught her, which they will, Mom will be heartbroken. She would have a second disciplinary warning and risk expulsion. If she was expelled, she would ruin her entire future, and end up like Mom.
Her heart raced again. She couldn’t fathom it; a ruined future. But her attempts always brought tears to her eyes. Bad grades, equated to bad schools, equated to bad crowds, equated to bad jobs, equated to bad money, equated to poverty, equated to homelessness, equated to starving, equated to drugs, equated to the worst mistake of her life, equated to death. Tale as old as time.
Stop it. If she cried here, everyone would laugh. Think about tacos instead. That annoying whistle sliced her ears like carrots. It was time for the last match.
The lazy didn’t think of all this. The lazy hung out and laughed with their friends. The lazy enjoyed soccer..
She was the only one writing her reflection essay in detention. Though she stopped double-checking when the Gloomy Gus stopped marking it.
He watched them like a security camera running on low power. Panning left and right with eyes wide open, but fully asleep. How could Kat evade this?
Kat raised her hand. Was she about to do it? "Can I go to the toilet?"
"Make it quick."
Kat slung her bag over her shoulder and left. That’s it? Alicia shook her head in disbelief, watching the Gloomy Gus. Even he must care about this. Right?
Just to assure her it wasn’t a dream, Vinn and his friends followed Kat’s lead. They all regrouped at the soccer field right outside.
The unthinkable entered her mind. She couldn’t stop shaking her legs. It was just one more day, though. Surely Kat would be available after tomorrow. But tomorrow was the start of her assessments, and she hadn’t revised enough for it. She needed to spend the next week cramming.
Truth be told, the cramming made no difference. If it did, it would've by now. Air weighed on her as she thought of it, braced herself for it. The migraines, the lethargy, the black eyes, only to realise a week later it was all for nothing.
After her assessments would be the June holidays, separating her from Kat for a full month. After the June holidays would be Checkpoint three of her coursework. After Checkpoint three of her coursework would be prelims. After prelims would be doomsday.
Kat was only free today. Alicia raised her hand.
"What?" He asked.
"May I go to the toilet?"
"Make it quick."
She slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out. Her eyes studied the Gloomy Gus through the window; he didn’t even look up. Oh my god, she got away with it! Or did she? Maybe he took a mental note of it to report to Mr Xun?
Turn back now. She searched the library; Kat wasn't there. Turn back now, they'll call Mom again. She searched the basketball court; Kat wasn't there. Turn back now, Mr Xun will give you a second disciplinary warning. She searched the front gate and found Kat next to a golden retriever.
Aw, she has a dog!
She ran to Kat. "Would you still like to play the game together?"
"What? I thought you were in detention?
"I skipped it.”
"But won’t they give you a second disciplinary warning."
When someone like Kat was the voice of reason, it meant that she should listen. It was still salvageable if she turned back now. The typical period excuse would bail her out.
"I'm joking." Kat chuckled. “Wanna pet him? He doesn’t bite."
She nodded and flapped her hands. In front of Kat, in front of the public. Oops. She kept her hands by her side.
The dog approached her with a wagging tail and a tongue stuck out. This creature was incapable of experiencing sadness. Such a concept was incomprehensible to such a being. There were only sunshines and rainbows in his little head.
Mom taught her the way to approach dogs ever since young. Meet them at eye-level, place a hand out for them to sniff. Patience, patience, patience. Once they come closer, she may pet them.
Minty came closer. She petted him. The majestic golden coat scratched a tactile itch and carried an irresistible magnetism to it. She never wanted to stop hugging him.
"His name is Minty."
"Hi Minty!"
He licked her face. She sealed her eyes and mouth shut, then wiped the saliva away with a tissue after he was done.
"Oh, and we can't play, since you don't have your phone and I can't bring him into school. If you told me earlier that you were gonna skip anyway, I would've just let my father keep him. Oh well." Kat shrugged.
“Your father?” Her chest stung. “How is he like?”
“He just left for work.” Kat pointed to a black car sat before the red light as an ocean of students crossed back and forth.
“Does he listen to your thoughts about things?”
“I guess? I dunno. Anyway, we can still hang out, have lunch. Did you try the cup noodles at the mama shop before?”
Her eyes sparkled. 'Hang out' was a term only friends could use. To ‘hang out’ was to do activities of friendship together after school. Although such activities were never specified, it was understood.
Except, of course, by her. But she pretended to, to keep things smooth.
Mom would be so proud of her.