Chapter 255
As soon as class started, Ethan walked in with a stack of answer sheets and announced, “The grades are out. Mr. Baker wants to hold a parent–teacher meeting this Friday afternoon: Make sure to let your parents know.”
“A parent–teacher meeting? But we’re seniors. Is that necessary?” Zinnia was caught off guard.
She thought anxiously, ‘My lousy grades will be discovered then.‘
Zinnia knew exactly how poorly she had done in the exams. Without even glancing at the answer sheets that Ethan was holding, she could guess her
scores.
Ethan replied, “Yeah. That’s why they’re holding the meeting. Mr. Baker needs to talk with our parents about our future plans.”
Participating in the SAT exam wasn’t the only path for students at Evershine High School to enter college. Many planned to study abroad, while others used family connections or generous donations to get into universities.
Of course, the majority of students there got into top universities through genuine academic merit, so the school held a parent–teacher meeting in the first month of the last academic year in high school.
As the answer sheets were handed out, Zinnia stared at the glaring “D” on her physics paper. She had expected it. She crumpled it up and stuffed it into her desk.
Next, she checked her chemistry grade and found it was also a “D“. She crumpled the paper hastily and stuffed it into her desk, too.
The biology grade was slightly better. She got a “C“, so did it in terms of the geography grade. Zinnia crumpled the two answer sheets up together and stuffed them into her pocket.
Social studies and history were mostly about memorization. She passed both, scoring a “C” on each. Zinnia folded the answer sheets up carelessly and slipped them between the pages of her textbook.
Zinnia glanced at her math score and found it was also a “C“. She immediately covered it with her textbook. She told herself in her heart, ‘It doesn’t exist
if I don’t see it.’
The only remotely presentable scores were in reading and writing, and language. The subjects scored an “A“.
Zinnia stashed away all her answer sheets.
She peeked at the answer sheets of Lydia, who was stuffing them into her desk. By the time Zinnia turned to look, only the newly distributed one remained in Lydia’s hands. Without glancing at it, Lydia was about to slip it in with the rest.
Zinnia glanced over and found it was Lydia’s math paper, where there was an “A+” on it.
Zinnia’s eyes widened in disbelief. She quickly stopped Lydia and leaned in for a closer look. Zinnia asked, “Lydia, you got full marks? How do you make yourself so smart just like that?”
“Well, thanks for your praise. I just did what I could do.” Lydia worried Zinnia might fall and regretted that she had hidden the papers so slowly.
Zinnia pouted and teased, “Lydia, don’t be so humble.”
She thought, ‘I also tried my best. Compared to her, I’m like an idiot.’
Maisie gave Zinnia a comforting pat on the back and said, “Zinnia, Lydia’s grades are unmatched by anyone. Let’s not compare ourselves to her, okay?”
Lydia was costly invited to study at that school. Her grades were practically untouchable by ordinary students. She consistently ranked in the top two. Only Isaac would compete with her for first place.
“I feel like half my brain has been eaten by zombies.” Zinnia rubbed her cheek against the desk in frustration.
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Chapter 255
Zinnia pressed her cheek against Lydia’s answer sheet, hoping to absorb some of Lydia’s wisdom. She was really envious of Lydia’s high scores.
“The desk is cold,” Lydia said and gently slipped her hand under Zinnia’s check to cushion it.
Ethan chuckled at Zinnia’s remark. He asked, “Zinnia, where are you planning to study abroad?”
Ethan had hardly seen such poor grades. Except for those with family connections or generous donations, most students there at least got decent grades, though they were still far behind the top students from across the country who worked very hard to get in.
Zinnia was truly one of a kind there. She got such poor grades even after Lydia had tutored her in every subject. Without Lydia’s help, it would have been an absolute disaster.
Given Zinnia’s poor academic performance, studying abroad was probably her best option. With her family background, getting into a foreign university would be a breeze.
After a moment of hesitation, Zinnia said, “I guess I’ll choose Mealinia.”
Zinnia remembered how, back in the small town, her poor grades got her called to the office, where the teacher scolded her as a hopeless case.
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