Cheating

adapted from Hwee Lin's 'Cheating during examination' by Michelle



I stared at the question on my practice paper, racking my brains, trying to understand it. But it was of no use. It was ten minutes before the mathematics exam paper will be given out, and I was doing some last minute studying. My heart was now beating as fast as a bullet train and beads of perspiration was forming on my forehead. I regretted not listening to Mr Johnson's explanation on how to do this question. I was often known as the most popular girl in this class and I will not want my title to be stripped off by failing an exam paper!

"Everybody please put your bags outside the classroom now! No delay please!" The invigilator, Mdm Tan, shouted. My heart almost stopped. I had no choice. Glancing around, I ripped the paper with the question on it, folded it, and placed it in my pocket. I then proceeded outside with my bag.

I flipped through my mathematics paper, scribbling furiously. At the start of the exam, my handwriting had been neat and precise. Now, one hour later, it had deteriorated into an untidy scrawl. After scribbling the answer for the last question in 'Section B', I turned the page, revealing my worst section in the exam paper, Section C - a section filled with deadly problem sums with outstretched arms, waiting to pull down their victims into the death-pit. I read the first problem sum, ponder over it for quite some time, and work out the problem. I gave a sigh of relief as I finished the last step of the problem, and went on to the next question.

Half an hour later, I came to the last question in the section. I realized that the question was almost exactly the same as the question I was studying before the exam! I looked around frantically. "Everyone was too busy scribbling in their exam papers to notice," I thought. I slid my hand slowly into my pocket and pulled out the piece of paper I had placed in my pocket before the exam. I unfolded my 'savior', placed it on my lap, and scribbled as fast as I could, referring to the piece of paper at the same time. I hoped the marker could decipher my handwriting as I slid the paper back into my pocket. When I closed my exam paper, Mdm Tan came to me. My eyes darted towards Mdm Tan and my heart sank.

"Jane over there tells me that you have a little secret which you want to share with me," Mdm Tan says, her eyes narrowed into slits and her voice dangerously soft. My voice trembled as I tried to defend myself, "What are you talking about?" Mdm Tan stretched out her hand and shouted, "Give me your cheating device!" I shakily handed her the note in my pocket. Mdm Tan glared furiously at the note. She snatched my exam paper off my desk and immediately started tearing it into pieces. I watched in horror, my eyes wide open with tears threatening to spill out. "Get back to work!" Mdm Tan shouted, and instantly the rest of the class went back to their paper, except for Jane. My blood started boiling and I glared at Jane furiously, shooting eye-daggers to the side of her head. I swore vengeance on her and then nestled my head in my folded arms on my desk, sobbing.

Ring... The bell rang as Mdm Tan collected the last exam paper. I met up with my friends and stormed out of the class silently but angrily. "We have to get that little cheeky Jane!" I told my friends. My friends nodded in unison and we stormed towards Jane from behind. "Stop there, ugly stupid Jane!" my friends and I shouted at Jane. Jane wheeled around, her face pale. "Hello..." she said. "Get her!" I shouted and we all lunged at her, pushing her to the floor and raining punches on her. I landed a powerful punch on her face, and her spectacles flew from her face. Jane groped around, feeling for her glasses.

"Want your spectacles?" I said mockingly. I did not wait for her to answer. "Dream on!" I laughed with satisfaction as I stamped on her glasses. My friends slapped my back, giving me a thumbs-up sign. A wide smile spread across my face as I waited for Jane's reaction. Suddenly, Jane lunged at my legs and bit hard on my thigh. I let out a shriek. "Get off!" I shouted, kicking her away. "Pathetic move," I murmured to my friends, and they nodded in agreement. Then, Jane lunged at me again. I pushed her away and my friends and I started kicking Jane. Soon, Jane was covered with bruises. "Girls, let's go. I think she has learnt her lesson," I said, and with that, we tossed our hair and left Jane lying on the floor.

Ring... The bell rang, signalling the end of recess. My clique was sauntering into the hall when we heard an announcement, "Good morning. Kate, Ashley, Chelsea, Bernadette, Zoey and Kresha from Six Trust, I repeat, Kate, Ashley, Chelsea, Bernadette, Zoey and Kresha from Six Trust, please proceed to the Principal's Office now. Thank you." I stared wide-eyed at my friends. Everyone stared back at me and Zoey was biting her lip, forcing herself not to cry. We walked hurriedly to the Principal's office.

We stepped up to the Principal's door. Everyone pushed one another forward, not wanting to be the one to knock on the door. I rolled my eyes and lay my fist on the door. I glanced at my friends who were looking back at me with worried looks on their faces. I tapped on the door. Thump. Thump. Thump. The door knob turned and the door creaked open. A face peeped out from behind the door. It was Mr Reinhold, the school principal. The whole clique froze. "Come in," Mr Reinhold said gently. We shuffled into the room, gripping each other tightly. Zoey was digging her fingernails into my arm. "Have a seat," Mr Reinhold said, waving his hand towards a sofa. We sat down stiffly. Mr Reinhold clasped his hands together and laid them on his table. He looked at me with an accusing look in his eyes, waiting for me to confess. The silence hung in the air for a while until Mr Reinhold broke it, saying, "Explain yourselves. Explain Jane's condition. Explain." Mr Reinhold's voice was firm, so I had no choice but to explain. A string of words came out of my mouth and my friends occasionally backed me up. At the end of it, Mr Reinhold nodded. "Sorry Girls, but I'm afraid I have to expel you. Here's your letter of expulsion," Mr Reinhold said, handing us a few papers. The moment all of us heard this, we burst into tears. I regretted cheating in the exam. When we left the office, I turned to my friends and said, "I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I'm really sorry." My friends were too busy sobbing to reply.

At home, I was on my bed in my room, crying. My mother had just beaten me and cane marks were all over my arms. Tears of guilt glistened on my face. My heart was wrenched and I guess I would grow up an uneducated person. I won't be able to find a job, and... The list of possibilities filled my mind. I would never forgive myself for doing this. Never! Suddenly, a knock on the door jolted me out of my thoughts. "Go away!" I shouted, pulling the blanket over my head. "Great news!" I heard my mum say. She opened the door and came in. "What?!" I shouted. "You have been accepted into the school again!" My mother said, happiness obvious in her voice. "What?" I said, sitting up on my bed. I was sure I heard wrong! "You are going back to school next week!" she practically shouted with joy. Unbelievable! I hugged my mum tightly, tears of joy rolling down my cheeks, replacing my tears of guilt. "I am going back to school! I am going back to school!" I exclaimed.

I realized that Jane was the one who 'bailed us out' from being expelled. From the day I went back to school, my friends and I became the best of friends with Jane. We helped one another in times of need and never gave up on ourselves.