Of Course It's A Lie

Similarities

Sumire stared at her test paper, mouth agape. Then she glanced over at Nuno, who was staring at her own paper with a similar expression. Then she looked up and caught the other girl's eye. They both giggled.

"Quiet," hissed another student from behind them. The two girls obediently clamped their fingers over their mouths, but the laughter still danced in their eyes. Surreptitiously, they swapped papers.

Forty-nine? Sumire mouthed, pointing at the grade scrawled in red ink on Nuno's paper.

Only one away from a fifty, Nuno mouthed back with a nonchalant shrug. At that, Sumire let out a dry chortle.

"What's so funny, Maeda?" A commanding voice boomed from behind their front-row seats. Sumire whirled around, while Nuno tried to arrange her face so it looked poker-faced and innocent at the same time.

"Nothing, sir," Sumire mumbled, keeping her voice low so the laughter wouldn't seep through. The teacher's eyes narrowed, and he marched up to her and snatched Nuno's paper away. Nunoe's heart leapt to her throat.

"A below-fifty is no laughing matter, Yamane." The teacher finally said, his voice dangerously low. Nunoe averted her eyes from both his and Sumire's. "I expect to see you both after class for tutoring, and another detention while you're at it."

When class ended, Sumire and grabbed Nuno's hand and dragged her with the crowd of kids rushing outside for lunch.

"Can you believe that old hog?" She said blithely. "I ain't going to that detention. What do you say?"

Nuno laughed. "Maybe just one more time, okay?"

"One more time we go or one more time we cut?" Sumire said testily.

"Cut". Nuno said it like it was obvious. Both girls erupted into giggles again.

"Did you see the look on his face when he handed me my paper, though? I mean, he's a good teacher, but really--."

"Didn't you get a twelve?" Nuno said testily, gritting her teeth to stop herself from laughing.

"I see you, Nuno-chhi." Sumire said, lightly slapping her friend's cheek. Nunoe gave up and dissolved into laughter.

"C'mon, if we go any slower our usual spot will be taken." Sumire said, Nuno's hand still clasped tightly within her own.