Chapter 12

The students were busy working through the questions when they noticed that Jonathan had already handed in his math test. They couldn't help but gloat. It looked like he couldn't do it and had given up early! Frederick thought the same. With half an hour left in the exam, he handed in his test and ridiculed Jonathan in his head. As he walked past Jonathan's table, he couldn't resist reminding him, "Jonathan, don't forget our bet." Stella took another five minutes before handing in her paper. Michelle, who was feeling sleepy, had fallen asleep at her desk for two hours and only woke up when Jonathan called her. She hesitated but eventually handed in a blank test paper. Students couldn't leave early because the evening self-study session for the senior year wasn't over. After most had handed in their tests, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. They grabbed their bags and rushed out of the classroom. Stephanie, a well-known doctor, had just finished surgery and came to pick up Frederick. He excitedly ran over to her. "Steph, what are you doing here?" "I came to pick you up. How did the math test go? Did you do well?" She was proud of her obedient and excellent younger brother. "It went well. I should be able to secure first place," he said confidently. She beamed with pride. "You always come in first. You're the pride of the Campbell family. We'll go home now. I'll tell Mom and Dad you got first place in the math test." He pursed his lips shyly. "Steph, the results haven't come out yet." "What difference does it make? You'll definitely get first place!" Stephanie grabbed his hand and headed out of the classroom. She suddenly spotted Jonathan, who was packing up his books. Frederick's eyes glinted with mischief. "Steph, Jonathan made a bet with me today." "A bet?" At the mention of Jonathan, she felt disgusted. "Did he bully you again?" "No… not really." Frederick lowered his head, looking upset and on the verge of tears. "He bet that if he scores first place in this test, I'll have to apologize to him in front of everyone at the flag-raising ceremony next Monday." Tears welled up in his eyes, and his voice quivered with sadness. "Steph, why does he hate me so much? What did I do wrong? Why does he have to make me apologize in front of everyone during the flag-raising ceremony?" As he spoke, he choked up, crying. Stephanie couldn't stand seeing him cry. When he cried, her heart would ache too. "You think of him as your older brother, but he doesn't acknowledge you," she said, her tone sharp. "He cut ties with us long ago. He doesn't acknowledge us Campbells as family. Let's not care about him. "Does he think he can get first place? If he does, pigs might fly!" She shot Jonathan a contemptuous look. "How shameless can you be? How dare you talk big when you have no ability!" Jonathan, having finished packing up, glanced over emotionlessly. His cold, dark eyes glinted with an icy disdain. "Oh, someone's so confident about securing first place even before the results are out. If you don't get first place, won't that be a slap in your face?" Frederick's expression changed dramatically. "I'm just telling the truth. I've been first before, and I will be again." He was completely confident in his academic abilities. Stephanie rolled her eyes. She grabbed Frederick's hand and said, "Let's go. He loves to talk big. When the results come out tomorrow, I'll call your math teacher in front of everyone at home and ask them about your scores. I want them to see how embarrassed he'll be!" She was furious. Since Jonathan liked embarrassing himself, she would make sure he did! Frederick was thrilled. Anything that could make the Campbells hate Jonathan even more was a win for him. Jonathan shrugged, unfazed. After Stephanie and Frederick left, only Jonathan, Michelle, and Stella remained in the classroom. As the class president, Stella stayed behind to turn off the lights and lock the door. She impatiently urged, "Hurry up. I need to go." Jonathan and Michelle ignored her and searched their desks for some materials. "Are you sure you brought them?" he asked patiently. She looked around, a little sweaty from searching. "Yes, I brought the math guide. I just bought it, so where could it have gone?" He suddenly remembered the blank test she had handed in earlier. He was starting to understand why her parents had sent her to work at the factory. She really didn't care much for studying. "Can I ask how much high school math you have learned so far?" Jonathan was curious. Michelle stopped searching and looked at him with her innocent, serious eyes. "I've learned about sets—set concepts, basic relations, and basic operations. I've learned all of that!" He was speechless. Wasn't that covered in the first lesson of high school math? "Let's look again tomorrow. If you still can't find it, it's not a big deal. There are plenty of bookstores that sell it," he reassured her. She nodded obediently. "Okay, let's go then." Michelle pulled Jonathan out of the classroom. Stella overheard Michelle asking Jonathan, "It's a good thing it didn't rain tonight. Do you stay at the dorm?" "No," he replied. "Don't tell me you're staying near your grandmother's clinic?" she asked after a moment. He answered whatever she asked, "Yes, I am. What about you?" "I live near you, but my grandfather doesn't live nearby. Your grandmother is going to my grandfather's house tomorrow for a visit, right? I've already called a cab to take her there." "You mentioned last time that your grandfather has back pain from sitting too much?" Jonathan asked. "Yes! He forgets the time when he's working and doesn't get up to move around. Over time, it led to severe back issues. He's consulted many doctors, but no one can cure it completely. "The doctors say it's unlikely to get better; the only way is to use traditional medicine to alleviate the pain." The two of them walked further away. Stella stomped her foot angrily. Jonathan and Michelle had gotten so close so quickly. Being completely ignored by him, she felt a lump in her chest, but soon she regained her composure. Since Michelle handed in a blank test, it meant she was just like Jonathan—a bad student! She and Frederick were different. They were excellent students in the eyes of teachers and intelligent, top scholars in the eyes of their classmates. She and Jonathan were from completely different worlds! With that thought, Stella felt much better.