Chapter 24

Quick as a flash, the teacher handed Lemira a set of questions. "Timer starts now," he said.

Lemira sat down, grabbed a pen, and dove into the test. The office fell into a hushed silence; all eyes were on her. The teacher, closest to Lemira, watched her work through the math problems, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. The questions were significantly tougher than those on the last exam, yet Lemira was answering them correctly.

Minutes ticked by. Evelina, curious about the office's sudden interest, wandered over and saw Lemira taking the test. A bad feeling twisted in her gut.

She sidled up to Alaric. "Alaric, what's going on? Is Lemmy doing a retake or something?"

Alaric snorted. "Exactly. She refuses to admit she cheated. We'll make her admit defeat this time."

Evelina hurried to Lemira. "Lemmy, don't be so hard on yourself. We all believe in you. You don't need to push yourself."

Lemira didn't respond, determined to maintain her focus.

Seeing her words had no effect, Evelina bit her lip and glanced back at Alaric. "Alaric, Lemmy is still mad at me."

Alaric's patience snapped. "Lemira, Eve's talking to you. Are you deaf?"

Lemira looked up. "I'm taking a test. Can't you see?"

Alaric was momentarily speechless. "Eve's trying to give you an out. You should take it before you embarrass yourself."

"Evelina, please don't disturb Lemira while she's working on the test," the teacher intervened, clearly impressed with Lemira's performance. "Let's discuss this afterward." It seemed increasingly likely that Lemira hadn't cheated.

Evelina, trying to appear innocent, said, "I didn't mean anything by it." But deep down, she couldn't stand the thought of Lemira succeeding, of being outshone. Skepticism gnawed at her. Lemira couldn't possibly score well, could she? Yet, her recent transformation unnerved Evelina.

Finally, time was up. The teacher collected the test and, with other faculty members, began grading it swiftly. Lemira sat calmly, her detachment shielding her from hurt, while Evelina hovered near Alaric.

Soon, the teacher announced excitedly, "We have the results."

Evelina peeked over, her heart filled with malice, hoping for Lemira's failure.

Alaric said coldly, "If it's bad, let's not embarrass ourselves by saying it out loud."

"No, Lemira did exceptionally well! This test was even more challenging than the last, and yet she scored higher!"

Lemira's anxiety melted away; a small smile played on her lips. Alaric's face crumbled as he snatched the test to see for himself. The numbers didn't lie. Lemira had aced it. Evelina, standing on tiptoes, also saw the score and felt a surge of jealousy. Since when had Lemira become so capable?

The principal, an affable old man, declared, "The truth is clear. Lemira has made incredible progress through her own efforts."

The teacher nodded. "Lemira has indeed been working hard."

Alaric's expression flickered before settling as he placed the test back on the desk, accepting that Lemira hadn't cheated. Suddenly, she seemed like a stranger to him.

The principal coughed. "Now that the truth is out, those who slandered Lemira owe her an apology."

Evelina's face twisted in embarrassment.