Find your faith

Chapter 127: What does the compass have that I don't? 🟰➕⚠️

This chapter parallels Chapters 13, 50, 81, 101 and 111, also making a full circle back to the prologue at the end. I suggest reading all chapters after this one to have a better appreciation of the book!

This chapter also contains sewerside threats and depictions of a nose bleed. Reader direction is advised
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Chloe's POV
"And for my very last distinction, I have Chloe!" Mrs Raine announced, now presenting me a beautiful smile. "You've come a long way, and I look forward to see your further growth." I heaved a sigh of relief as I received the paper from her, turning over and realising I had gotten a 49/70 for Paper 1. John looked at me and gasped at me, congratulating me. Nicole tapped my shoulder, asking me what I got, to which I just showed my marks. Nicole and Lucas looked at each other and nodded, giving me their thumbs up. John smiled at me nicely and said, "Good job! I always knew you could do it!"
Many names later
Ningguang's POV
"And last but not least, Ningguang," Mrs Raine boomed, sending shivers down my spine. I knew it! I was cooked all along!

"You failed your essay section," she whispered me in a grim tone. "Like- you went off topic altogether." I felt my heart stop as I received the exam paper. Dragging my feet back to my seat, Keqing asked me out of curiosity, "Psst, what did Mrs Raine say about your paper 1?"

"DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO KNOW?" I screamed at Keqing before hitting her with my test paper. 
Chloe's POV
"Alright, Chloe," our E Math teacher announced, and my heart skipped a beat. I was about to squeeze my way through to get my paper when John quickly stood up and got the paper on my behest. Thanking him for his kindness, I received the paper from him and felt all the tension in my body leave me when I saw my marks. I had achieved an A1! Surely the percentage totalled to 75% on the dot, but I was over the moon. I have never thought this was a dream that could even come true!
Ningguang's POV
"What?!" I retorted in shock. "You got a 65?!"

"Yea," Keqing replied with a poker face. Keqing had bested me in every subject up to now, and I wasn't going to let her have the last laugh. Face flushing, I gathered all the strength in my fist and lunged it at her nose. Keqing winced in pain, crying as blood dropped down her nose. I caught my breath and mumbled to myself, "Cheater."

"Alright, that's enough bickering," Daphne told us calmly. "Here Keqing, have this box of tissue. I can tell the nose bleed is quite bad." She thanked Daphne and cleaned herself up before continuing to do the corrections for her E Math paper.
Xingqiu's POV
"89/90?!" Shenhe and I chorused out of shock.

"That is like—such a huge improvement from last time!" Shenhe whispered with excitement. I broke into a wide grin and took her hands, as we cheered over me going from lowest in 3 Faith to highest in 3 Faith. Considering how half the class failed A Math because of its difficulty, pulling off such a high grade was a shock because that meant I was the highest for this exam in the level. The boy that thought he was going to retain in Sec 3 never thought this could've been done!
Ningguang's POV
"Highest for the exam?" I snapped. "Did you cheat or something?"

To my shock, Daphne whipped her ponytail around in anger, terrorising the life out of me with her black face. Staring daggers into my eyes, she began to tell me off: "You've been snapping at these three when they have put in the honest work, even accusing them of cheating. They did not cheat, they just worked hard and consistently. Not like you, crammer."
Anika's POV
"YZ, same as always, huh?" Our bio teacher remarked while returning him a wink. "Anika, don't get complacent." Thankfully, that was said with a smile, and an actual B. The last time I got a B in biology, it was because one question was actually void, so everyone got an extra mark.

"See, I told your grades don't define you!" YZ told me with a big smile. "You just didn't have the capacity to listen to me!"

As if his contagious energy rubbed off me, I giggled and retorted playfully, "Well, at least I have seen that happen for myself."
Ningguang's POV
"Oh my god!" I loudly exclaimed. "Is it just me or does it look like Anika is actually happy about her bio grades?"

"She's actually happy," Jennifer replied. "So just—"

"I don't care. If you finish your sentence, I'm going to kill myself."

"Don't say that. Your grades don't define you. And even though you're most likely going to retain because you've been failing with Es and Fs, take this chance to improve!"

"Like you care." I plunged into my seat and sank as far as I could, trying to hide how foolish I felt. I had failed this exam with a 10/70 and almost fought with the student council president. Thankfully, my standoffish act got in the way!
Crystal's POV
Literature classroom
Fiona Chan pointed the phone at me and Nicole stared with big intense eyes at me as Fiona Chan recorded this pivotal moment. My heart was pounding more than ever. This was a subject I have never faltered in, with the previous failure being a fleeting one under pressure. Yet, the possibility of yet another failure seemed more real than ever, because our class had 6 failures altogether. My stomach was naturally playing Cat's cradle for that reason...

"Crystal, good job. Despite the musical, the performance and your company leadership, you've  really redeemed myself."

Mrs Nur presented the exam paper in my face, and John immediately peered over to see my score as I broke down in tears of joy, flushing as I looked at my friends while giggling. I didn't just pass; I got a distinction*! I never thought this day would come; I had been scoring Bs since the start of my third year due to the steep learning curve. Around me was half the compass and Fiona Chan squealing over my redemption as we recorded this valuable moment in front of Mrs Nur, who acted calmly since I had agreed to this all along.
Chapter epilogue
Outside the literature classroom
"Oh my god, a distinction!" "Well done!" "See, told you your grades didn't define you!"

As the footage of me getting my literature results played in front of the other half of the compass, everyone broke into wide smiles, Ethan and Anika looking particularly contented. Lucas produced a smug smile, which Ethan noticed and couldn't stop laughing at. And Chloe sprung onto me, hugging me tightly, rubbing my back as I always did with Christina and then squeezing my cheeks. It's like both of us have grown in a year ever since we got the results that changed our lives and became who we are now, alongside our closest friends.

We're all growing up together, huh?
*70> marks in Singapore