Jazz It Up

CHAPTER 35

"So what's the good news you couldn't wait to tell me about?" Jazz asked, eyeing Mitchel who couldn't stop smiling.

"The talk with my dad went surprisingly well."

"And?"

"He listened to what I had to say without flaring up, that was a good sign."

"Did he agree with it?"

"He didn't, but he said we would talk about it more when I come home for the Christmas break."

Jazz furrowed her brows in obvious confusion. "Then what's the good news?"

"I'm hopeful that the results would be positive." Jazz scrubbed her palm across her face.

"This is what you called me aside for?"

"I'm sure I would be able to convince him to let me follow my own path, he seemed quite interested in what I had to say."

"Whatever you say," Jazz singsonged and was about to walk away when Mitchel stopped her.

"Thank you for encouraging me," he said. She smiled at him and hurried to class.

"You are lucky you made it to class before Miss Chinaza, if not you would have yourself to blame today," Princess hissed when Jazz took her seat.

"Miss Chinaza that's afraid of Jazz and her double-edged tongue, what can she do to her?" Abu retorted.

"Okay na, when she comes you will know."

Miss Chinaza walked into the class and they all got up to greet her then settled down. She informed them that they would now be taking Further Maths once a week. She went on to write the date and subject on the whiteboard, ignoring the students' disapproving murmurs.

"I'm the teacher here, so what I say goes. Your opinion doesn't matter," she snapped and the students' murmurs only increased.

This irked her and she turned around, pointing at them. "Look, this is what your principal and I agreed on and it's for your own good, so shut up and pay attention to what I am going to teach you."

The class went silent and she smiled satisfactorily before turning back to the board to write down the topic and some problems.

"We already don't like maths and now they want us to further it?" Princess whined.

"Why do they suddenly want us to do this bloody subject, is it not meant for the science students? Who sent them to make this decision on our behalf?" Complained Abu.

"What is it now? Abu, if I should hear your voice again, you would be the first person to solve the problems I'm writing on the board," Miss Chinaza warned without even looking back.

Princess stifled her laugh. "You are such a chronic noisemaker that even the teachers know your voice."

"Orobo, it seems like you want to join him," Miss Chinaza said and Princess stiffened.

"I'm sorry ma!" She apologised, face flushed. Jazz snorted and her seatmates glared at her.

The class went on painfully slow and the students, especially Jazz, struggled to pay attention and not lose focus for the most part of the lesson. The only person who seemed to be interested in the class and who actively participated in it was Kelechi. Her classmates gave her deadpan stares as she answered and asked questions.

When the bell for change of lesson rang, Miss Chinaza gave them classwork to do in order to know how well they understood the topic. The classwork was to be submitted by closing time and corrections would be done in the next class. Everyone groaned and grumbled but she ignored them and warned that whoever didn't submit would be punished.