Chapter 62: The End of the Second Mock Exam
"I think it’s fine!"
"Chloe York, are you kidding me? ’Fine?’ Oh, I get it. You’re just deluding yourself!" Clara Bell burst out laughing.
"Clara, don’t talk about Chloe like that. Chloe has been working really hard lately. Maybe she really can score over fifty on every subject!" Brooke York put on her innocent act again, but a deep-seated mockery glinted in her eyes.
"Oh, come on, Brooke. Stop sticking up for Chloe York. If it were that easy, she’d have to have suddenly become a genius!"
Mocking laughter erupted from the surrounding students. For Chloe York, someone who always scored zero and had only managed a single point on the first mock exam, to fantasize about scoring over fifty on every subject in the second mock exam after just one month of studying—it was utterly delusional.
She didn’t want to waste any more time talking to them, otherwise she wouldn’t have time to use the restroom.
"Look, she’s so embarrassed she’s running off to hide in the bathroom."
To Clara Bell, Chloe York heading to the restroom was a clear sign of embarrassment and fear.
Brooke York couldn’t contain her glee. She had been bottling up so much frustration this past month, just waiting for this second mock exam to redeem herself and finally vent her pent-up anger.
After using the restroom, Chloe York returned to the classroom to prepare for the English exam.
The proctors for the English exam were their homeroom teacher and another male teacher. As he walked into the classroom, the homeroom teacher had a sour look on his face; after all, this class was full of underachievers.
Stella Winters covered her mouth, mouthing four words to Chloe York: "The old tyrant’s proctoring!"
Chloe York blinked, warning Stella Winters to stop. Based on what she’d learned of their homeroom teacher lately, any interaction between them would likely be interpreted as cheating.
Stella Winters got the message, instantly shutting her mouth. She sat up straight and said no more.
"The next exam is English. No talking, no looking around. Focus on your own papers. If anyone is caught cheating, they will receive a score of zero, no exceptions."
At the mention of a zero, the homeroom teacher’s gaze fell on Chloe York and Stella Winters. Although the class was full of underachievers, they had all passed the entrance exam to get into high school.
Only Chloe York and Stella Winters were the ones who genuinely scored zeroes and ones.
The test papers were distributed. Once everyone had a copy, a short wait began, as the audio for the listening comprehension section had yet to start.
Soon, a voice came over the speakers, and the listening comprehension section officially began.
Chloe York listened intently to the broadcast and began answering the questions on her English test paper.
Inspired by Chloe York’s serious studying, and also because she might be studying abroad herself, Stella Winters had started to study English as well.
So, as she listened to the broadcast, she also started to answer the questions.
The homeroom teacher and the other male teacher stepped down from the podium and began to patrol the classroom. The teacher monitoring the halls outside was also particularly diligent, passing by their window every few minutes.
The homeroom teacher came to Chloe York’s side and leaned down slightly to look at her paper. Chloe seemed oblivious, her focus entirely on the listening section.
Although he was the language arts teacher, he knew his English. As he listened to the broadcast and looked at the answers Chloe was filling in, the hand behind his back suddenly clenched into a fist.
Chloe York was getting every single one right!
The homeroom teacher remained standing behind Chloe York, watching her work. He hadn’t expected her to have genuinely improved this much; she was getting nearly every question correct.
Seeing the homeroom teacher lingering by Chloe York’s side, the other male proctor—who knew about the bet—walked over, tugged on the homeroom teacher’s sleeve, and gestured for him to follow.
The homeroom teacher didn’t understand why the other teacher had pulled his sleeve only to walk away without a word. It wasn’t until he saw the man waiting for him outside the classroom that he realized what was happening.
Once in the hallway, the homeroom teacher asked, "What is it, Mr. Walton?"
"Mr. Hale, you shouldn’t stand behind a student for that long. It’s distracting. If the exam supervisor sees, you’ll be reprimanded." Mr. Walton knew Mr. Hale had a problem with his student, Chloe York, but he couldn’t just pressure her like that. ’What’s the deal, standing right behind her like that?’
Mr. Walton’s reminder made Mr. Hale realize he had been standing right beside Chloe York. During an exam, a teacher standing next to a student could easily be seen as giving them hints.
Of course, he wasn’t trying to help Chloe York, which meant it could only be interpreted as him deliberately trying to pressure her.
"It was a momentary lapse. Mr. Walton, thank you for the reminder." Mr. Hale’s thanks were sincere. If Mr. Walton hadn’t reminded him, then regardless of whether Chloe York scored above fifty, word of this getting out would reflect poorly on his professional integrity.
Mr. Walton waved a dismissive hand and went back into the classroom, with Mr. Hale following him.
Back in the exam hall, seeing Chloe York still diligently answering questions, Mr. Hale found he couldn’t calm down. A suspicion began to form in his mind. ’Could it be that Chloe was doing it on purpose before? That she was actually capable of getting good grades but deliberately failed? Was she sandbagging?’
The listening comprehension section ended. As the classroom fell silent, devoid of the broadcast’s noise, Mr. Hale seemed to calm down a bit.
’No, that’s not right. It’s probably just that Chloe has a knack for this subject, a natural talent. That’s why she could improve so much with just a little studying. It won’t necessarily be the same for the other subjects.’
At this thought, Mr. Hale breathed a sigh of relief, his posture visibly relaxing.
The listening section was over, and Chloe York began working on the other questions. The classroom remained quiet, the silence broken only by the occasional rustle of a turning page.
Although he had convinced himself not to worry, he couldn’t stop his gaze from drifting back to Chloe York. Seeing the focused look on her face as she worked, he felt a sense of unease and had to force himself to look away.
Stella Winters made it about halfway through before she hit a wall. Her reserves of knowledge were depleted, and she started to zone out.
One test after another, one paper turned in after another. After two days, all the exams were finally over. Walking out of the exam hall, Chloe York let out a sigh of relief. None of the three systems had contacted her for the past two days.
Now it all depended on whether she could score over fifty points. If she did, the Top Student System would reward her with Wisdom value and Memory Value.
"Gah, it’s finally over! Now we can relax for another month."
Hearing Stella Winters say this beside her, Chloe York snorted with laughter. "You’re hilarious."
"Isn’t it true? These past two days of exams have been so stuffy. Regular classes are way more relaxed."
’That’s right.’ For Stella Winters, it didn’t matter whether she took the college entrance exam or not. Her family had already arranged for her to go abroad and get a prestigious foreign degree.
So for her, exams like this were far less interesting than just attending class.
"Want to come hang out at my rental place?" Chloe York invited.
"I’d love to, but I have to go to an uncle’s house for dinner today." Stella Winters thought it was a real shame. The second mock exam was finally over, the perfect time to relax, and she still hadn’t been to Chloe’s new place since she moved in!
"All right, then! Come over next time you have a chance. I’ll have snacks waiting for you."
"Okay," Stella Winters agreed with a happy nod.
Stella was headed for the main gate while Chloe was going to the back gate, so they parted ways at the bottom of the stairs.
Stella Winters had only taken a few steps when she saw Ethan Prescott walking toward her.