Before ss, Juniper was summoned to Salma''s office for having missed several consecutive tutoring sessions.


    She stood with her feet together, back straight, and hands sped behind her. It was the standard posture for a reprimand, yet on her, it looked almost defiant.


    "The other teachers have a lot ofints about you. They''vee to me several times saying you''re a delinquent who disrupts other students, and they want me to expel you," Salma said with a sigh, her tone patient and earnest.


    "I had excused absences," Juniper replied with a slight frown, her words serious. "I submitted the forms."


    Besides, she had been paying attention in ss. But because of her past ''record,'' the teachers had alreadybeled her a troublemaker. They watched her with suspicion, blowing every minor infraction out of proportion. The final exams hadn''t even happened yet. How could they say she was a bad student?


    "Juniper, are you having some kind of trouble?" Salma asked gently, her gaze soft and understanding rather than usatory. She knew Juniper''s situation well; the girl had a difficult life. If there was any way to help, she would do her best.


    "Ma''am," Juniper said, shaking her head and lifting her pale face, her tone earnest. "On the quiz next week, if I get a good score, will the other teachers stop bothering you?"


    "Hmm?" Salma was taken aback by the question and stared at her, momentarily speechless.


    It was true. The teachers''ints stemmed from their belief that she was a poor student who refused to put in the effort and was dragging down her ssmates.


    "I understand," Juniper said, reading Salma''s expression. "Don''t worry, I''ll take the test seriously. I won''t let you down."


    Salma pushed her sses up her nose, unsure what to say. Juniper had been attending sses for less than two weeks and had only been to a few tutoring sessions. No matter how seriously she took the test, her score probably wouldn''t be very impressive.


    "As long as you have a good attitude, that''s what matters to me. As for your score... just do your best," Salma said, not wanting to put too much pressure on her. After all, the girl had grown up without family, living in foster care. She was bound to be fragile.


    "I''ll handle the other teachers. You just focus on your sses and don''t worry about it."


    "Thank you, ma''am." Juniper nodded respectfully. As she turned to leave, Salma spoke again. "By the way."


    "Yes?" Juniper turned back, standing at attention again.


    "Do you know what''s been going on with the physics teachertely?" Salma asked with a puzzled frown.


    She''d heard that after giving Juniper a couple of tests, his behavior had be... erratic. He was often seen muttering to himself in the staff room, saying things like, "You''re all blind," and "With a student like this, I''ve struck gold!" He even dreamed during his lunch break, yelling for Juniper to take a day off.


    If she was absent, she''d have to do a test paper. And every time she did one, he discovered more of her incredible potential. It had been years since he''d encountered a student with such a natural talent for physics.


    The other teachers were saying Juniper had driven him mad.


    "Huh?" Juniper looked genuinely confused, blinking her eyes. "I have no idea."


    She had barely exchanged a few words with Keith.


    "Alright, I see," Salma said.


    Seeing her reaction, Salma decided not to press the matter further. The physics


    teacher had always been entric; perhaps something had just set him off recently.


    ...


    In the afternoon, as soon as the final bell rang, Juniper''s WhatsApp buzzed.


    Shanley: [I''m at the school gate. image.jpg]


    The attached photo showed an assortment of candy in various vors, along with milkshakes and small snacks. They were all her favorites.


    A small smile touched Juniper''s lips. Following the location in the picture, she quickly found Shanley.