Chapter 1649
As exams loomed closer, the campus buzzed with tension. Students were scattered across the field, loudly reciting from their textbooks. The office heads had all held meetings to arrange exam-related matters, creating a sense of impending storm.
Abel woke up an hour earlier than usual and went for a run on the field. He studied under the streetlights until dawn, when other boarding students began to trickle in for their morning exercise.
After finishing his review, Abel headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. The thought of seeing Yasmine again filled him with a sweet anticipation. Over the past few days, his relationship with Yasmine had progressed rapidly. He helped her with her homework almost every afternoon and evening, and Yasmine would prepare lots of snacks for him in return.
Although their relationship hadn't been explicitly defined, Abel felt it was only a matter of time. The thought of winning Yasmine's favor filled him with a strong sense of pride. He, a poor kid from the countryside, could actually date a girl from the city.
As Abel left the field and stretched, he noticed a tall figure approaching from the west gate. He couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement when he saw the familiar figure of Ms. Johnson. He quickened his pace and greeted her, "Morning, Ms. Johnson!"
Audrey looked at the boy in surprise and quickly recognized him. She smiled warmly and said, "Abel, it's you! Why are you up so early? It's not even seven yet."
She usually arrived at school around 7:30, but today she had come half an hour early due to some matters. She hadn't expected to run into Abel.
"Yeah, I usually get up at six to study," Abel said, raising the book in his hand with a shy smile. "With exams coming up, I wanted to get some extra practice in."
"That's great. You're really making the most of your time," Audrey nodded, her impression of Abel improving. When she left home, her son Kevin was still sound asleep. Kids from the countryside were indeed more resilient, unlike the more pampered city kids.
Hearing Audrey's praise, Abel felt even more excited. If Yasmine was a beautiful flower he could just about reach, then Audrey was the moon in the sky, something to be admired from afar, unattainable.
As they walked and chatted, they reached the intersection where Audrey continued east to the office building, and Abel turned north to the cafeteria.
Suddenly, there was a commotion on the field. Audrey looked up to see a basketball hurtling towards her. She was too shocked to react and could only watch as it came closer.
"Ms. Johnson, watch out!"
Abel sprinted forward and caught the basketball, but the force caused him to lose his balance and fall to the side.
"Abel, are you okay?" Audrey quickly reached out to help him, but slipped on the snow and they both ended up sitting on the ground.
"I'm so sorry, Ms. Johnson. It's all my fault," Abel apologized frantically, bowing repeatedly, afraid that the good relationship he had built with her would be ruined.
"It's okay, Abel. Don't be so nervous. I just lost my balance," Audrey reassured him with a smile, fixing her hair. "I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, that basketball would have hit me."
Seeing that Audrey wasn't angry, Abel breathed a sigh of relief. Making his goddess fall was a serious offense.
Audrey noticed Abel's thin jacket and frowned. "Abel, it's so cold. Why are you wearing just a light jacket? You'll catch a cold. Why don't you have a down jacket?"
Abel blushed and said awkwardly, "I don't have one. It's okay, Ms. Johnson. I'm used to it. The classrooms are heated, so it's not cold at all. I was sweating from running on the field earlier."
Moved by Abel's sincerity, Audrey insisted on taking him to a nearby store to buy him a down jacket. She made him put it on immediately and said gently, "Abel, if you ever have any difficulties, just let me know. I'll help you as much as I can. Don't try to tough it out alone."
"Thank you, Ms. Johnson," Abel said, his heart warmed by her kindness. Since coming to Sunset Valley High School, he had endured a lot of scorn and ridicule. This was the first time someone had shown him such care. Choking up, he added, "I will study hard and not let you down."
"It's not about letting me down. Don't let your parents down," Audrey smiled, though she felt a heavy weight in her heart. She had thought Kevin's single-parent situation was tough, but Abel's circumstances were even more deserving of sympathy. There were so many students like him from poor backgrounds, and she could only help so many.
In contrast, students like Ivan, who came from privileged backgrounds, were even more frustrating. Audrey had been having conversations with the problematic students in her class and communicating with their parents. As a homeroom teacher, she couldn't give up on any student. It was her duty as a teacher.
But Ivan was particularly difficult. He didn't take her earnest advice seriously at all. Even Alissa had subtly suggested that she shouldn't waste her emotions on such students and should just ignore them as long as they didn't cause trouble.
Audrey, however, refused to give up easily. She called Ivan's father, Devon, to discuss the situation, hoping he would take his parental responsibilities seriously. Devon agreed readily, but Audrey could tell from his perfunctory tone that he wasn't really concerned.
After all, Devon was the County Treasurer of Harmony County, one of the most powerful officials. Audrey was just an ordinary teacher. The fact that Devon listened to her at all was already a sign of respect.
She decided to focus on other underperforming students like Paul, Tony, Craig Baker, and Albert, having one-on-one conversations with each of them. Although their academic performance was poor, at least they didn't have Ivan's bad attitude and were still salvageable.
First was Paul, who was close to Ivan but not inherently bad. Audrey felt he deserved a chance and had a heartfelt talk with him, which ended with Paul in tears, promising to turn over a new leaf and study hard, much to Audrey's surprise.
Next was Tony, a city kid with a bit of cleverness but a tendency to cut corners. He was the hardest to deal with, always ready with a rebuttal. Audrey had to appeal to his emotions, reason with him, and even promise a reward for improved exam performance to get him to commit to studying seriously.
Then there was Craig, also from West Stream Town. Unlike Abel, Craig wasn't very bright. Despite his efforts, his grades remained poor. Audrey didn't know how to help him other than encouraging him to keep working hard, assuring him that persistence would eventually pay off.
Lastly, there was Albert, another privileged kid, but with much better grades and a positive attitude towards learning.
"Albert, I won't say much. The exams are coming up. Focus on your preparation. If you have any questions, feel free to ask your classmates or me," Audrey said with a smile, her tone noticeably different due to her connection with Kevin. "If you improve in the finals, I'll have a reward for you."
"Really, Ms. Johnson?" Albert's eyes lit up. "What kind of reward?"
"It's a secret for now. You'll find out later," Audrey replied with a playful smile.
Albert's heart raced. As a fan of Audrey, his admiration for her was undeniable. Today, Audrey looked particularly mature in her coffee-colored wool coat, cream sweater, black jeans, and wavy hair, exuding both elegance and allure. Her prominent chest added an irresistible touch of sensuality.
If only the reward could be touching Audrey's chest, Albert thought to himself. He wasn't interested in the usual rewards like notebooks or snacks. Of course, he wouldn't dare voice this thought to Audrey, knowing Kevin would tear him apart if he found out.
"Alright, head back now," Audrey said, dismissing Albert. She stretched her sore back and hips, feeling the strain from both last night's activities with Kevin and today's student meetings.
Time flew by, and the finals were just two days away. The semester was coming to an end, and Audrey's performance as a homeroom teacher would be judged by the exam results. She felt both nervous and excited.
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