Chapter 111 - The Final Year Examinations

Two weeks flew by and like the changing of seasons, the exam loomed over the students as the final obstacle between them and freedom. Armed with all their newly crammed knowledge, the students of the E.C. Class sharpened their pencils and awaited the monster to approach them.

Dragon was strangely nervous. Rebecca's methods might be brutal but they worked. For the first time in his life, the martial artist was able to understand the questions in front of him. He didn't need to guess the options to choose his answer, he could solve them to arrive at a number that matched the option. That gave him the confidence to continue with the most serious expression anyone had ever witnessed.

While the students of the E.C. Class faced their challenges with courage and determination, the Special Class breezed through their tests without needing to try too hard. However, they were still worried. After all the cramming they did, would it be enough for the students in the E.C. Class to pull through?

Although they were in the Special Class, the school prepared the same examination papers for everyone in the cohort. Looking at the questions gave the Special Class a rough idea about how much their friends must be suffering. Some tried to delude themselves by calculating the probability of correct answers while others simply left it to fate. Jasper, in particular, had to excuse himself for the washroom during the exam because he felt too sick from worry.

Immediately after the first paper ended, the quiet school came to life with the buzzing of students discussing answers. For the Special Class, nobody remained seated. There was still an afternoon paper but for now, nobody could wait to meet the boys in the E.C. Class. They promised to check on them and help them cram for the next paper so imagine their surprise when they came to an empty E.C. Class.

At first, none of the Special Class members wanted to believe it. However, Lin Lin was the first to notice that there was something written on the board.

"Look!" she called out and everyone turned.

On the whiteboard, were words of gratitude, short messages for some of the students from the Special Class, pictures and sixteen signatures under the pledge to pass the examinations with their own efforts.

[Thank you so much for what you've done for us, it is now our turn to prove that we can be strong too. - E.C. Class.]

[Big thank you to the Special Class for helping us when not even the teachers bother anymore. Big shoutout to Elfie for that quiz drill, let me teach you how to play games after the exams! - Jeremy.]

[Those class notes saved me, much love to you guys. Always stay awesome! - Roy.]

[Jasper you prick! If I fail I'm going to kick you into the goalpost. If I pass, I'm going to buy you ice cream.]

Jasper rolled his eyes at this one from beneath his bangs but his heart pounded. The spat he had with Mustafa when they first started wasn't good. However, thanks to Scarlet's Observational Journal, he was able to reconcile and share a frenemy relationship with the soccer star.

Alex cried at this particular one.

[Ms Alex, thank you for being so patient with me. I don't think I've ever had this much studying in my life. You are a wonderful person.]

The writer might not have signed off but Alex knew this was from Reggie. She had spent a lot of time reminding him to focus and giving him tips to stay focused. She revised every chapter thrice with the boy to ensure that he knew what he was doing even if he was slow.

[All the best for your rocket science studies! You might not be the easiest person to talk to but those notes you made saved my backside from my mother's spanking this time.]

Nobody could figure out who wrote that but Nathan blushed at the praise. The Special Class took their time to take some commemorative photos of the notes. Then, someone suggested that they should clean it and replace the notes with their own.

Some of the boys hurried back to their classroom to grab some markers while the girls started cleaning the board. Lin Lin took up a duster and insisted that the lower half of the board was hers to clean. Rebecca took charge of the upper half, leaving more than what Lin Lin could reach just so that she could see the adorable musician hop to clean the higher parts.

When the boys returned with markers, Scarlet was given the honours of drafting a message on behalf of the Special Class because she was a writer. Scarlet thought for a while and smiled as she grabbed a purple marker.

[For the E.C. Class,

We felt your warm gratitude even in the cold and empty class. The times we spent together will be the greatest gift we received. Thank you for such a precious gift. You might not know it but some of us won't be here next year. Still, we are glad to be given the chance to make friends with such wonderful individuals like yourselves.

Fear not, no distance is too great for friendship like ours. The chatroom is specially created for us, use it. Don't be afraid to bother us, we want you to talk to us even if we are busy.

With that, all the best for the exams and all the exams that follow. You have the tools we've given you, they will accompany you for your entire life and nobody can take that away from you. Use that to triumph over the ones that previously mocked you and be proud that we're not boring individuals.

We've had a lot of fun, let's make a new promise. After everyone graduates, we shall host another party. This time, at the Wilde's mansion.

Love, Special Class."

Alex smiled. Nobody would protest to hosting a party at their place.

"Just so you know, all of you from the Special Class are invited as well. Rejection is rejected," Alex told them playfully.

Once everyone signed on the bottom of that message, they started to fill the board with little thank you notes and personalised messages of their own. Alex filled the gaps and spaces with wonderful ill.u.s.trations and they took photos of their handiwork before leaving.

It was not 'goodbye' but 'see you again'. Just like the seasons, surely spring will come again, more beautiful than before.