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

You're Late

Friday morning, Grayson’s mom comes into his room. She sees her son still asleep in his bed, with his face resting on his opened Calculus book as if it were his pillow. If the lessons from books were able to diffuse directly into one’s head, Grayson would definitely wake up a mathematical genius on par with Newton or Liebniz— sadly they do not.

“Grayson? Grayson? Wake up… It’s time for school,” Grayson’s mom tries to wake him up.

Grayson just groans.

His mom takes pity on him, giving him 10 more minutes of sleep. She knows that for the past two weeks, he has been studying real hard for the finals. She lets him have a few more minutes sleep.

After 30 minutes, Grayson finally wakes up. He slowly lifts his head from the pages of the monstrous Calculus book. He almost tears off a page that got stuck on his cheek. He sits up in bed still very much asleep. He slowly opens his eyes, his mind still hasn’t fully warmed up. He can hear his parents outside, already at the breakfast table, talking. He gets up and unsteadily walks to his door.

“Oh, Grayson, you’re finally awake,” Mrs. Blanco greets her zombie-like son.

“Good morning,” Grayson greets his parents with his coarse just-woken up voice.

“You better get ready for school Grayson, you’ve slept in half an hour longer than usual,” his dad reminds him.

“Okay dad,” Grayson’s voice sounded just as lifeless as it did in his head. Grayson is not looking forward to an entire days’ worth of Calculus lessons. If it weren’t for Erin, he would have no real reason to go to school and study for the test. At least, this is what he is thinking as he gets ready for school. In reality however, the fate of the entire Greenvale High Seniors hinges on the grades that he will get on his special final exam, the one that he has been preparing for this past two weeks with Erin as his tutor.

Grayson puts the thick and bulky book inside his red back pack and kisses his parents bye. He walks down their road as he sets off for his morning commute. He knows that his mind is really busy with so many things right now, most of them Calculus concepts and equations but he says only one thing under his breath Erin. He lets himself think of her the entire time he makes his way to school.

Finally, in school, Grayson goes up the stairs and heads for the library. It’s quiet. There are no students in the hallways. The underclassmen are already in their rooms, taking their final exams. The Greenvale High Seniors, his batchmates, are already in the gym for their last day of detention.  He is alone as he makes his way up the stairs. He looks at the rooms. He looks at the hallways. He looks at the lockers. He feels warm and fuzzy inside as a sudden bout of nostalgia hits him. He thinks of Erin. He smiles. He is now ready to take on Calculus even if it’s just him and Erin. He enters the library and greets Ms. Teresa at her desk. He then takes a seat at their usual table. He puts his red bag on the table, gets his giant Calculus book out and waits comfortably for Erin. A couple minutes in, he begins to wonder where she could be. She is not the type to be late on such an important day then it hits him. His eyes open wide at the realization. He quickly stands up from his seat, making a loud sound as the chair’s legs skid over the library floor.

“Shhhh….” Ms. Teresa shushes Grayson as she repeatedly sounds a bell.

*Ding – Ding – Ding*

Principal Hidalgo looks up from his seat by the teacher’s corner. He is reading a newspaper and beside him, Ms. Heidi is drinking coffee. Grayson didn’t notice them when he came in.

“Sorry,” Grayson says as softly as he can, quickly grabbing his book and his red back pack as he runs to the door.

He runs up the stairs towards the senior classrooms. He sprints towards Erin’s classroom and apologizes as he turns the doorknob.

“I’m so sorry Erin,” he starts. “I—“

“You’re late!” Ms. V’s voice startles him and her glaring eyes almost make his knees buckle. He wasn’t prepared for this at all. He opened the door expecting to see Erin, not Ms. V.

“Since you’re already here, so, shall we begin Mr. Blanco?!” Ms. V says, already sounding a little bit irate.

Grayson finds Erin seated behind the standing Ms.V.

“Hi,” Erin greets Grayson with a smile.