Mr. Cheater and Ms.Valedictorian (20,000 words, English)

Special Tutorials

Tuesday— Grayson and Erin are once again in the same classroom as they were in yesterday. This time there are two subject teachers who will meet up with them for their personalized review before the test on Saturday. It’s going to be a motherly Ms. Eva who will instruct them in English in the morning and a young Ms.Pilar who will handle El Filibusterismo in the afternoon.

The day ends with the two students being so thankful that Ms.Eva and Ms.Pilar agreed to tutor them for the finals upon Sir Bert’s request. Their review session has really cleared up some lessons that had remained a little bit confusing up until today. After their lessons with Ms.Pilar in the afternoon, they meet up with Sir Bert just outside the faculty room. They thank him for the two subjects that have been covered today and ask about Ms.V.

“I’m sorry guys. She’s still saying ‘No’,” Sir Bert apologizes. “I’ll try again tomorrow,” he adds, optimism fading from his voice.

“Thank you Sir Bert, Maybe tomorrow then,” Erin thanks the concerned teacher.

The two are disappointed at what they have just heard but they take it in stride. They can’t let this one obstacle stop them from studying the other subjects. They hope that tomorrow, Sir Bert will be able to persuade Ms.V to tutor them on the coverage of her exam.

Wednesday morning, the two students enter the empty classroom but immediately go back outside to head for the computer lab after seeing the note on the blackboard.

Please see me in the Computer Lab. – Sir Johnny

Sir Johnny, the soft-spoken young computer programmer, waits for the two students in the computer lab. He asks them to take a seat at two adjacent computers and they begin with their programming practice.

After their morning review session in the air-conditioned lab, Sir Johnny explains that he will just bring a laptop on the day of the exam and Grayson will be taking the programming test with the laptop.

After eating lunch, they find Ms. Amy already waiting for them inside the classroom. This elegant teacher starts her lessons on Values Education immediately and they just sit and listen.

After the review session, Grayson and Erin walk down with Ms. Amy to the faculty room. They just peer inside the room as Ms. Amy opens it, their eyes meet Sir Bert’s but he just shakes his head from his desk. They didn’t have to go in, they understood that it’s still a no go. Ms.V still hasn’t budged.

Thursday morning, they start off with Accounting. It is Sir Mark who instructs them in the language of business. They solve accounting problems in the morning with their very meticulous teacher. Then in the afternoon they study, yet another business subject— Economics with a kind and portly Sir Warren. After a whole day of business studies, the two now once again head down the faculty room. This time they are anxious. It’s already Thursday. They’ve already finished reviewing all the other subjects with their teachers save for Calculus. They approach the faculty room door slowly and hesitantly knock on the door.

It is Sir Bert who opens the door for them. He has a worried look in his face. They didn’t have to ask, but Erin asks anyway.

“Sir Bert, so how about tomorrow? Will Ms. V be there to tutor us?” Erin asks.

Sir Bert shakes his head. “I think not Erin, Grayson. I am so sorry. Maybe we can ask one of the other Math teachers to tutor you,” Sir Bert suggests.

“Thanks Sir Bert,” Grayson says with a disappointed smile. They know that it would be different. If another teacher were to tutor them, maybe they wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the exact topics and lessons indicated in the coverage or maybe the approach to the solution of the problem will be different— in other words, it wouldn’t be as effective and could even perhaps lead to further confusion.

Sir Bert enters the faculty room after the two leave. He looks at Ms.V at her desk. She looks back at him and looks away with her nose high in the air.

“So were those the two again?” she asks arrogantly.

“Yes,” Sir Bert answers. “They really do need your help Ms.V,” he adds.

Ms.V’s ice cold heart doesn’t melt. Ms.V is holding a grudge against this year’s graduating batch. She’s been offended with their so called cheating and this is how she is going to punish them. She is ignoring their pleas. She genuinely wants to see them fail, repeat their senior year or even get expelled. She doesn’t really care what really happens to the students’ academic future. All she wants is to be respected—for education, learning and Calculus to be respected.