Right Here

A Stupid Test

Song of the Chapter: "Tired" by NIve

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It was halfway through the semester when King failed his test.

King hadn't been worrying too much about everything that had been going on but there was someone else that held his attention more than schoolwork did.

King had known Ram for a little while, moving to Bangkok with his parents during his senior year of high school. He'd met Ram there, who was two years younger than him, and he'd taken a liking to the sophomore.

Despite King often feeling like he was talking to a wall, he cared for Ram diligently.

King stood up to people that talked about his friends behind his back. He didn't threaten them, that wasn't his style, but anyone who saw King upset would want to make sure they were on his good side.

King acted as a parent, he was kind to a fault, and no one wanted to disappoint him.

However, the more King tried, the more ignorant Ram became.

King wanted to change that but there was too much that could go wrong. In high school, it would've been easier but the situation had changed.

There was a friendship that was on the line, there was the conflict between Deun and Bohn that had been going almost since this semester had begun.

He couldn't stand away from Bohn, he was one of the only people that had accepted King when he was too nervous to properly introduce himself to his classmates when he first moved to Bangkok.

But he couldn't back away from Ram, despite him being on Bohn's bad side.

He'd been walking the dangerous line for a while now and it was straining on King's mental health.

The professor signaled the end of class and called out to King, who left his friends at the door and walked to greet the professor.

"Is there something I can help with?" he questioned, smiling at the older woman.

"That's the question I should be asking you," she replied, opening the folder that was on the table in front of her. She pulled out King's test and held it in front of him.

In the top corner was his score: 66/100.

King looked at her with wide eyes.

"There...there must be some sort of mistake," King spoke, taking the test and turning it over, "I've never gotten this bad of a grade before."

The professor nodded.

"I know, King," she replied, "That's why I asked for you to stay. Is there something wrong?"

King stared at the mark with his eyes shaking. He felt a panic rising in his chest, a burning fear that was growing in his mind.

How was he going to show his mother this?

She would be so disappointed, she worked so hard so King didn't have to worry about money while he was in school.

"King?"

He turned to the professor.

"I'm sorry," he replied, "I...can I retake the exam? I know I can get a better mark than this."

She let out a sigh and glanced around the empty room before nodding.

"Next week, on Monday, come to my office," she answered, "Don't disappoint me, King. You have a good deal of potential, don't let it go to waste."