One More Night

After a week of cancelling classes, they went back to school, and this was also the day of their pre-test. So they just sighed, knowing that today is also their test.

While answering the test, a crumpled piece of paper was thrown on the floor opposite Nicole. Nicole wondered where it came from, she looked at her other classmates but they were busy answering the test.

She slowly picked up the paper and looked at it, she was surprised at what she saw, because it was an answer sheet with an answer.

She immediately hid it, but it was too late when her teacher suddenly approached her.

“Nicole!!!”

His loud call startled her. Her eyes widened and she swallowed in nervousness. Her teacher approached her immediately and her classmates looked at her.

“What is that? What are you holding?!” her teacher asked her.

She tried to hide the paper she was holding behind her, as she shook her head and said, “Nothing.”

But her teacher did not believe her and suddenly he bent down and pulled her hand and took the paper. He read the paper and looked at her badly.

“Is this yours?” her Teacher asked her.

She stood up and nervously replied, “No Sir, that’s not from me!”

“Not you? But you are holding on it?!”

Her teacher said angrily.

Her classmates murmured. She looked at Jane, as if asking for help.

“Sir, it’s true, it’s not from me! I just found it.” Nicole’s tears welled up in the explanation.

Jane got up from her seat and approached Nicole.

“Sir, Nicole is right, she can’t do that.” Jane’s defense.

“I do not want to listen to your excuses. Go to the Principal’s Office now! Now!!! ”

His teacher shouted at her, her tears slowly dripping as she left the classroom and went to the Principal’s Office.

When she arrived at the Principal’s Office she knocked softly and opened the door and entered. A few moments later her Teacher also came and told the Principal what had happened.

“Good morning Maam.” Nicole greeted the Principal as she stood in front of her.

“Good morning! Oh, why are you here, don’t you have a test today?” the Principal asked.

“Ahh -”

Nicole’s words were interrupted when suddenly there was a knock on the door and her Teacher entered. He also greeted the Principal and sat down.

“Good morning Maam.” greeting by Mr. Reyes.

“Good morning, what do you need?” Mrs. Gomez asked.

“Maam, we came here to let you know that this student of mine was caught cheating on the test.”

“What?! Is that true?” Mrs. Gomez frowned, while looking at her.

“It’s not true Maam.” Nicole’s refusal.

“Tssk! Don’t lie anymore!”

Mr. Reyes handed the crumpled paper to Mrs. Gomez obtained by Nicole.

“Maam, I got it, she was holding it earlier, while testing.” and handed over by Mr. Reyes is the paper with test answers.

The Principal was surprised and frowned as she read the paper.

“Why did you do this? Were given you a lot of time to review. Don’t you know you did it badly?” The Principal asked angrily.

“Maam, believe me, that is not mine. Someone threw it in front of me earlier; I just picked it up and looked at it. When Mr. Reyes saw me holding it, but that’s not mine. Please believe me.” Nicole pleaded while crying.

Mrs. Gomez and Mr. Reyes, when they heard Nicole’s explanation. Nicole crouched down crying as she waited for what they would say.

“Well, if you’re telling the truth, can you tell us whose role it is?” Mrs. Gomez asked.

“I don’t know Maam who that came from. Just someone threw that paper at me.” Nicole replied while crying.

She sighed before she talked, “So, Mr. Reyes, what do you think? Is she telling the truth?”

“I can’t say Maam, because I got that paper in her own hand.” said Mr. Reyes.

“Oh go ahead, go back to the classroom first, Mr. Reyes and I will talk about your situation first.”

“Okay Maam.”

Nicole answered weakly then she slowly opened the door and went out.

She saw Jane across the door and immediately approached her and hugged her.

“Nicole…”

Then she immediately hugged Nicole and made Nicole cry even more.

“Stop crying.”

“Friend, I didn’t do that, it wasn’t from me.” crying Nicole said.

“I know! I believe you! What did the Principal say?” Jane asked.

“She just asked me about the paper, I said it wasn’t mine and I just found it.” said Nicole.

Jane wiped away her tears, before speaking.

“That’s right. Let your name be cleared as well.”

“But it looks like Sir, doesn’t believe me, because he got that role from me.” said Nicole sadly.

“So, you have to prove that that paper is not really yours. Didn’t you say someone just stoned you?”

Nicole nodded. “Yes.”

“Well, it’s possible that one of our classmates is the real owner of the paper. He didn’t want to get caught, so he threw that paper at you.” Jane explained.

“You’re right, the real owner is just in our room.” said Nicole.

Jane then pulled her back to the classroom. They entered and went to the front, and their classmates looked at them.

They murmured when they saw Nicole.

“It’s embarrassing, we have a cheating classmate!”

“Yes, that should not be allowed in here.”

“She is no longer satisfied with bullying; now even in the test she is cheating!”

Nicole just bent down and closed her eyes to accept the bad things her classmates were saying.

“Stop it! Nicole is not really cheating!” Jane shouted.

“How could that not be true? There is evidence that she got that role from herself.” said Amy.

“The paper is not her! She was just stoned and she picked it up!”

They all fell silent at what Jane said.

“So, I mean, the real owner of the paper is in this classroom!”

Her classmates looked at her and whispered again.

“Who are you to accuse us?!” Amy said loudly and approached them.

“Yes, you have no right to accuse us! Don’t defend Nicole, we know she did something wrong!” said Sandra who also stood up.

“I wouldn’t defend her if I really knew she was the real owner of the paper. But I don’t believe Nicole will do that!”

One student stood up and also spoke.

“You can’t tell! Isn’t it, your group is bullying some students here at the school? So, it’s also possible that she did the cheating!” disgusted Donna said as she turned it around.

“No matter what you say, Nicole can’t do what you accuse her of!” Jane shouted.

Then suddenly their Teacher Mr. Reyes. He looked at them badly.

“What are you doing? Go back to your seats!” he commands them.

Then they went back to their seats. When everyone was seated, their Teacher spoke.

“Well class, we’ve talked to the Principal. Nicole come here, come on.” command of Mr. Reyes.

Nicole slowly approached her Teacher.

“Can you explain properly how you got the paper?” Mr. Reyes asked her.

“While I was answering the paper, suddenly someone threw a paper in front of me.” said Nicole.

“Where do you think the paper came from?” Mr. Reyes asked again.

Nicole thought first and swallowed before answering.

“I think the paper came from behind because at that time, you are in the middle walking towards the front.” said Nicole.

“In that case, stand all 2nd and last row in the back!” command of Mr. Reyes.

The students looked at each other and slowly stood up.

“You who are standing! Admit it, as long as it is early!” said Mr. Reyes.

The students looked at each other again and they just kept quiet.

“So, you won’t talk?!” Mr. Reyes angry question.

He took a deep breath and went to a student in the front and borrowed a ballpen and paper.

Then the paper is placed on the table.

“All right, come here to the front and write your name one by one.” command of Mr. Reyes.

The students immediately followed and wrote the names one by one, including Amy and Sandra.

They glared at Nicole as they confronted her. Nicole averted her eyes and looked at the door.

After they wrote, Nicole also wrote her name on the paper. Then Mr. Reyes looked one by one at the handwriting of each other.

He compared it to the paper he got and the names they wrote down.

After a while, Mr. Reyes took a deep breath. And look at the students standing.

“Okay, I already know who really owns it.”

“Sandra, come here!” command of Mr. Reyes.

“What?!” Sandra asked in surprise, and she looked at Amy who smiled at her.

“Come with the Principal’s Office.”

Mr. Reyes and she did nothing but obey.

Nicole then breathed a sigh of relief, as it proved that the role was not hers.

Jane suddenly approached her.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“So now, Sandra is the cheater!” Jane said loudly.

She really raised his voice to let the whole class hear that their accusation against Nicole was wrong.

“Let it go. And at least, we found out that I was not the one who was cheating on the test.” Nicole said.

“Don’t be sure, because it’s not over yet! We are not sure if it was Sandra who threw the paper.” annoyed Amy said to them.

“Tssk! You’ll also know who is really telling the truth, and that’s me!” bored Nicole said.

But Amy just looked at her, from head to toe and left the room.