NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Chapter Nine
Sky Lark High touted itself as advanced school, with holistic study atmosphere. The location, the grand imposing buildings, the quads, the sports complex, the music and theatre amphitheatre, Michelin two star canteen - all of which meant the annual fees for each student was in millions of dollars. That didn't include any fees for extra curricular activities, food cards, uniforms etc.
The school's uniform was designed by then famous designer Yuovne using the most luxurious materials and most flattering shape.
Every student was rich. No need for a fashion show everyday.
After every exam, few parents would be called to have a nice chat- 'look, your child has actually failed. You want others to know of it?No! So, how about that donation?' It was sort of a secret known to management and parents of failing kids. No wonder, there was no failing student in the entire school.
In such place where bigotry, brown nosing was so inbuilt, Sophia Hart was going back.
Mr Clark, as a responsible class teacher had a nice chat with her. He was a man in forties, with his teacher suit barely hiding his puchy stomach. As he disdained wearing a wig, there was a pale patch where no grass grew, on his head. But he was a good teacher, trying his best to ensure all kids learnt enough and behaved properly. He was also one the very few people who had actually cared about her, though she didn't know of it.
"Good morning, Miss Hart. How are you now? Better?"
"I am better now, Mr Clark. Thank you for the notes and homework you sent before. I really appreciated it."
"Don't worry, child. Your health is most important. You want any help, anything at all, do let me know."
"Actually.... there is. As you know, I had a head injury when I had the accident."
Mr Clark just nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"Well, I find that I can't tolerate too much noise for long time now. So, I thought....if I could get permission to go to library or music practice rooms for few hours every day...." Sophia trailed off uncertainly.
What she said was not actually a lie. She felt it was tedious to talk with self centred young brats or to listen to their obviously biased words for long. She would get a mild headache after having breakfast or dinner with the family. And that dining table only had two young brats. If the same situation happened within the class room, with twenty plus kids, Sophia felt she would kill herself to escape from headache. Better be safe rather than sorry. She had finished and even revised the final year portions already. She had nothing to learn in the classroom setting.
Mr Clark pondered for a while. "Well, you have my permission to excuse yourself from my classes. Regarding others, let me talk to other teacher first."
"Thank you very much, Mr Clark," Sophia thanked the class teacher from bottom of her heart. Even one or two hour respite would be good. She then left for the class.
There was no assembly activity to start the day. Only self study hour to begin the day of final year of highschool student. Optional. Of course. If you feel you can ace the exams, we won't stop you or chain you to classroom.
Monday morning first class - always the class teacher. He taught maths. Arithmetic, to be precise. If you don't love it, it can be sleep inducing, this necessating having all the maths classes in the morning.
Years of experience in teaching rich kids meant Mr Clark knew when to joke, what sorts of examples were better perceived and most importantly, when to stop the class.
The rich frown upon carrying heavy bags everywhere, so there were only school tablets with pen attached. So writing classwork and homework didn't need anything extra. After finishing homework, you just mailed it or drop it in academic dropbox maintained by the school. Textbooks...well the school did have physical versions of it but most preferred soft copies. Wonder why?
As it was first class and Sophia had entered just before Mr Clark entered the class, the reunion between classmates had to wait till Mr Clark finished the class and left the classroom.
"Oh man! Sophia are you alright?"
" Yeah! I heard it was a pretty tough accident."
"We really, really wanted to come and meet you, but you always stopped us. Anyway, what's important is that you are better now."
Ah! The blissful stage of naive. Everything is black and white, never shades of grey. Not even if it's related to s*x.
It's not that they were not bitchy or arrogant. They were. All of them. Including her past self. All were divas under that skin. But they never showed it within the school. My family might be richer than you, but who knows, if tomorrow my family wants a project from your family. They may just not agree if you complain about me. It would not happen always but why take the risk? So all found various places to show off their precious existence. Never within the school. Ah, the knowledge one gains by the time they reach high school.
Sophia eyed all her classmates. None of them had a big splash when she still alive in her previous life. No need to be bff with them. Yep, she was now considering friendship as commodity and thinking of manipulating her friends. Uff! Her classmates escaped from being best friends of a sociopath by that much.
Sophia didn't think she was in the wrong. These people, including their families, had become silent spectators in the huge cover up of the Hart family. They were also guilty. She was magnimous enough to not take revenge on them.
"I'm okay guys. The doctor just told me to take everything slow and easy. I get tired pretty fast too. Get headaches still but they are bearable. So please bear with me till I get better."
Obviously every one would agree. In next few classes, every teacher would ask Sophia about her health. Only after she reassured she was better that the lesson of the day would start.
Mr Clark did have talk with other teachers. They all empathised with Sophia. Poor girl, to suffer at such young age. They didn't know that Sophia didn't considered what she underwent in this life as nothing serious as she had suffered d*mned too much in her previous one. But the effect of this perception was good. They would not consider her absent if she takes permission to skip one or two classes.
The piano teacher asked when she saw Sophia was struggling. The art appreciation teacher... better not go there. The answers Sophia gave was pretty savage. The painting class! She gave up. Sophia could not paint like she used to. So she painted abstracts with disturbing palette selection. Thankfully, they didn't have to show their art work to others, just the teacher. The teacher didn't mention change in the style. Merely let Mr Clark know that this child needed counselling, a lot.
So, no dramas or face slapping at all. But it would come. Sophia felt it in her bones.