Find your faith

Chapter 75: Proposal backfired

Flashback
Earlier that term
Ethan's POV
Teacher 1: So you would like to end weekend lessons for your class for A Maths?

Ethan: yes. It's the way that's being conducted that's giving off red flags. Firstly, only students in after school activities like external trips and the centennial musical are asked to attend, not the whole class or those that have been consistently failing. Secondly, he doesn't change the way he teaches. Lastly, he conducts these lessons during a weekend morning, making us lose the chance to properly rest and recharge.

Teacher 2: This is important and damaging to 3 Faith's well-being and we cannot thank you enough for being this to our attention. We will investigate and have a proper word with him.
Present Day
3 Faith classroom
Xingqiu's POV
What was Mr Williams doing outside our classroom? We didn't have A Math that day. Crystal was blurting out random reasons why that could be possible, from asking the A Math subject rep to pass worksheets on his behest to talking to the rhythmic gymnastics people on some stuff. (He was in charge for rhythmic gymnastics after all). Mrs Raine was wrapping up her lesson when she noticed Mr Williams, and then I lip read my own name. That meant I was the subject of his interest! I sprung off my seat to see what was going on between me and him.
Outside 3 Faith classroom
Mr Williams: Were you the one that snitched on me?

Xingqiu: I'm not snitching on you, the people that have the remedial lessons are complaining about it. Daphne doesn't have anything major other than the robotics presidency so she thinks this isn't fair.

Mr Williams: well that's on her, not you! Your records have shown you getting consistent As on all your maths tests—E Maths and A Maths. Young man, going to China is no excuse. I expect you to keep this standard, tell Crystal not to slack or I'm breaking both of you up. You two are close, but remember, there's always a difference between romantic relationships and friendships between girls and guys.
Crystal's POV
"You were being scolded for the proposal we submitted?" I asked in shock. He nodded in defeat and sat down, and the fact Mr Williams framed us for doing what was right for 3 Faith was a tough pill to swallow. Rather than admitting he was wrong and he'd stop the remedial lessons, he ended up scolding Xingqiu for doing what was right and what protected 3 Faith from harm. Yes, we're the smartest in the cohort, but we're human too. He can't expect us to be performing all the time!
Lucas' POV
The following day
What's going on? Our A Math lessons have changed. Mr Williams now lets us do questions on the whiteboard, which I thought would be a nice change in pace, but to my horror, he wasn't actually choosing random people to answer. He was choosing all those more involved in after school activities to take part.

"Xingqiu, go and do this question on the board," he instructed. Xingqiu went up and got control of the whiteboard marker. He nailed this question like a pro! Effortlessly punching on his mathematical calculator, he wrote the steps on the board faster than ever, spinning the marker as he thought long and hard on what to do. When he left, Mr Williams got up and looked at his book before looking at his answer.

After yapping about how he got everything right except the last step, he then started to roast one of my closest friends. In his outburst, he kept waving his hands at our row's direction, complaining about Xingqiu fumbling over one simple question and how every single A Math question should be easy for him. He also talked about him fumbling because he had no time to prepare as he was too busy with his National Day celebrations work, claiming he had slackened off since the start of the term. If we can struggle with getting a new concept for the first time, so can he. Math isn't going to get any easier from here, so he has every right to fumble as long as he picks himself up after.

Hence, I decided to attempt the question myself trying to defend him. I knew half the problem, but decided to mess it up on purpose to teach him a lesson. "See, I'm not in the student council or going for an external trip. I only have the musical to care about but I'm also struggling!" I bellowed. "Stop exploiting my friends' talent for Maths and expecting he'll perform all the time."

"Watch it young man," Mr Williams mumbled creepily. "I'm going to tell the teacher you've just talked back to me."
To be continued