7 (Baekhyun)

Chapter 22

Dad Joke of the Day: Why can't you hear pterodactyl go to the bathroom? Because the pee is silent.

Chapter 22

Staring at her phone, Mia is shocked into silence. All she can think is how? She had spent days on the assignment for an unbelievable result that she never even entertained for a second.

She was sitting in Daniel's living room, casually watching a movie with him and his girlfriend when her a notification pooped on her phone indicating that her English assignment that she had submitted the day before was already graded.

Surprised at the speed of the professor, with shaking hands Mia logged in to her school profile to find something an expected.

In front of her lies a big fat zero. Confused, Mia stares at her phone silently not understanding how this is possible. She had never spent this much time on an assignment just to get a zero.

"Maybe it's a mistake?" offers Daniel, cutting through the silence that had enveloped the entire room.

With the movie paused, a pin drop could be heard. "Yes, that's it! It's probably a glitch in the system so maybe you can email the professor?" Tzuyu adds.

Nodding her head, Mia looks at the couple. "You're right! It has to be! I'll just email the professor and ask for feedback explaining the grade and he'll figure that there's something wrong with it and correct the mistake." With the little bit of hope blossoming, Mia opens her email app and starts typing out the email.

Choosing her words carefully, Mia keeps the email professional yet casual so it doesn't seem like she's questioning his grading. She keeps chanting it's a mistake in her head, hoping it's true. Because the other alternative is that she has actually received a zero and that just is not an option. She has a scholarship to maintain and this zero will definitely mess that up. With her heart beating frantically in her chest, she hits send.

Daniel looks back at Mia with concern in his eyes. "Don't worry too much about it. It'll be ok."

"Yea. It will." Mia is ready to break it in a cold sweat but she tries to calm down her nerves. No use worrying before confirming her grade. "It's just that I've already been barely passing this class. My only hope was to pass and do well on my other classes to maintain a high GPA. But with this zero, I'll fail the class. Failing is not an option. I have a scholarship that I'll lose if I fail this class." Mia almost hyperventilates just thinking about the outcome.

"Let's calm down," says Tzuyu, taking in deep breaths so Mia copies her as well. "There you go. Let's just wait for your professor's email and we'll figure things out."

"Ok," Mia breaths lightly nodding her head.

"Exactly. How about we continue this movie so you can get your mind off of it. I'll get more snacks too ok?" Daniel offers before getting up and heading to kitchen.

Mia and Tzuyu are left in silence in the living room. "You know," Tzuyu start, "if you're looking to make some extra cash, my friend works at this karaoke bar as a party girl. They pay well from what I heard and they're always looking to hire more girls."

Mia looks up at Tzuyu with confusion. "Party girl?"

"They're like entertainers," Tzuyu explains. "They sing with the customers and help liven up the mood."

"So they basically dance for older men?" Mia guesses.

"Well kind of, but I heard it's safe, legal, and it pays a lot."