The Trouble Maker: Redemption in the Ruthless Classroom

The corrupt class teacher unfairly handed out the scholarship slots.

That same day, I called the principal's office to report her.

To my surprise, the teacher hauled me into her office and slapped me hard across the face. "You little troublemaker! Instead of studying, you're always stirring up trouble behind my back!"

Principal Garth Shepard just sat there sipping his coffee, and the two of them chewed me out for three full periods.

Later, when my dad pulled his investment from the cafeteria, Garth and Kaylee showed up at my house groveling with gifts. The second they saw me, their jaws dropped.

I looked at them calmly. "Remember me? I'm that troublemaker from Class 3."

1

"Zoe, I'm still stuck on this problem. Could you explain it again?"

I slid my math notes over to my deskmate, Zoe Singh, feeling a bit sheepish. I'd asked her about this same question a few days ago, but today, I was lost again.

"Sure!"

Without a second thought, Zoe pushed aside the English homework she was doing and started walking me through the math problem with patience.

We'd been deskmates for half a month, and in that time, my grades had taken off.

I used to be middle-of-the-pack in class, but with her help, I was steadily climbing toward the top.

She was a diligent student, always focused in class and grinding through practice problems in the classroom after school, only stepping out for quick bathroom breaks.

Her work ethic rubbed off on me, and I'd gotten a lot more serious about my studies too.

On top of that, she was warm-hearted. Whenever I hit a wall with a question, she'd take time out of her own schedule to explain it clearly, never once acting bothered.

"No big deal, it's not a hassle. Going over this with you helps me lock it in too. We're lifting each other up!"

She'd say this to ease my guilt every time I felt like I was imposing.

Watching my grades soar, I couldn't help but feel lucky to have such a stellar deskmate pushing me forward.

Zoe was amazing in every way, except her family was struggling.

She was the only kid in our class who'd tested in from a rural area. She and her mom rented a place near Silver Creek High School, but her mom was too sick to handle tough jobs. I often saw Zoe helping out with chores after school, clearly worn out.

Everyone at school ordered two sets of uniforms to rotate, but Zoe could only afford one. Hers was so faded from washing that some classmates made fun of her for it.

A few loudmouth boys even mocked her behind her back. "Zoe, can't you change your clothes? You reek! It's making me lightheaded!"

She didn't snap back. At first, she'd blush, gripping her pen as she stammered, "My clothes are clean, I wash them all the time."

But those jerks kept going. "Oh, yeah? Then it must be you. That stink's probably from the pigpens and chicken coops back in your village, baked into you so deep no washing can fix it."

Zoe bit her lip to hold back tears, but they still rolled down her face like a string of broken pearls.

She might be gentle, but I'm not one to sit quiet. I fired back for her. "You've got some nerve talking like that! You stink of sweat from basketball every day, so bad even cracking the windows doesn't help. I can't even focus in class! Go home and scrub yourselves down! And take a look at your grades, your math scores don't even touch Zoe's scraps, yet you've got the guts to laugh at her!"

That shut them up. They muttered awkwardly and backed off.

I knew Zoe's family was tight on cash and wanted to help, but handing her money wasn't an option. At our age, pride's a brittle thing, and I didn't want to bruise hers.

Instead, I started bringing milk and snacks to school, slipping them to her casually. She'd always push back at first.

"You help me with questions every day, better than any tutor. If you don't take this, I'll feel too shy to ask you next time!"

Only then would she reluctantly take them after I stuffed the snacks into her desk.

Recently, though, I'd noticed her sighing a lot, her face heavy with worry. Even in class, where she never spaced out, she'd started drifting a few times.

"Zoe, what's going on? Is something up at home?" I asked softly, treading carefully.

She dropped her gaze and murmured, "Barbara, my mom's sick. The scholarship hasn't come through yet, and she's too scared to spend anything. She keeps delaying the hospital, and I'm afraid if this goes on, her condition's going to worsen."

I paused for a beat, then patted her shoulder. "Don't stress too much. The teachers know your situation, you're definitely on the scholarship list. Health comes first, tell your mom to see a doctor. If you're short on cash, I can spot you, and you can pay me back when the money comes through."

She nodded, but sighed again. "It won't work. My mom's too nervous about spending. I've begged her over and over, but she won't budge, just toughs it out at home."

2

Seeing Zoe so weighed down made me anxious for her too. All I could do was hope the scholarship would hit soon.

Maybe my hopes paid off, because right before dismissal, Kaylee walked in with a notebook for a class meeting.

After droning on about random stuff, she finally brought up the scholarships. I breathed a sigh of relief and gave Zoe's hand a quick squeeze under the desk, letting her know she could ease up.

She'd been strung tight like a wire lately, and now she could finally relax a bit.

Kaylee cleared her throat, her eyes sweeping the room.

"Today, we're announcing the scholarship recipients. The school's choices are well thought out and totally fair. The students I name should see me after school to sign some papers: Jake, Kevan, Jessie."

The second she finished, my eyes widened. Zoe's name wasn't there.

I turned to her, and she was already choking back tears. No scholarship meant her mom would keep putting off treatment, and things could get a lot worse.

What was happening? Everyone in class knew Zoe's deal. She was the poorest among us, and her grades were top-notch, no flaws to pick at. By all accounts, she should've been on that list.

But the names Kaylee called? Not one of them was hard up. Jessie's family even ran a business, they were loaded by any measure.

I didn't have time to dwell on it, so I turned to comfort Zoe.

"Don't freak out yet, Zoe. Get your mom to a doctor! Maybe Kaylee got it wrong."

She didn't say anything, just stared down, digging her nails into her palm.

I wanted to help. If I told my parents, they'd jump at the chance to cover her mom's bills, but I'd offered before, and Zoe wouldn't take my money. I couldn't shove it at her.

Still, I couldn't figure out the scholarship mess. How could it skip her?

None of those three had it as rough as her, and their grades didn't come close to hers.

The only thing they shared? They were pros at kissing up to Kaylee.

Our class teacher, Kaylee, was in her early thirties and loved dolling up, always strutting into class in different flashy outfits.

The minute she walked in, Jake would holler from the back, piling on the flattery. "Kaylee, you look fresh out of high school in that, practically our age!"

Kevan would tag-team him. "Hey, easy there! I'd say she looks younger than us, like she's a couple years behind!"

Others would pile on. "Totally! Kaylee, if you sat with us, no one could pick out the teacher!"

Kaylee would giggle behind her hand, then tease them back. "You guys sure know how to talk. If you put half that effort into your studies, I wouldn't have to nag about your grades!"

She was tight with Jake, Kevan, and their crew.

Her favoritism wasn't new. When a girl asked to skip running because of cramps, Kaylee either shot it down or got snarky. "Oh, what, you're a little princess now? Can't handle a bit of discomfort?"

But when Jake and his buddies ditched running to goof off, she'd grin and let it go, sometimes joking with them in the office. "You boys are slick, huh? Everyone else is sweating it out in the heat, and you're chilling here with my AC!"

The more I pieced it together, the madder I got. Kaylee had obviously handed the scholarships to the ones who buttered her up the most.

To them, it was chump change, but for Zoe's family, it was a lifeline.

Her mom was still sick, too afraid to see a doctor.

Thinking of how hard Zoe studied and how good she'd been to me, a spark of justice lit up inside me. I had to step up for her this time.

After everyone else cleared out, I spotted a complaint hotline for the principal's office posted by the security desk. I jotted it down in my palm.

After dinner at home, I shut my door, grabbed my phone, and dialed the number I'd copied.

It was my first time reporting something like this, and my nerves were buzzing.

The call connected, and a deep, middle-aged voice picked up. "Hello? Who's this?"

"Hi, I'm a student at Silver Creek High School. I want to report Kaylee Sandoval, the Class 3 senior teacher. She's misusing her position, rigging the scholarship slots, and leaving the students who really need it high and dry."

Picturing Zoe's family struggles, I felt a righteous fire and spilled every detail about the scholarships to Garth over the phone.

There was a quiet moment on the line before he said, "Alright, I'll check it out. Can you give me your name? Don't worry, it won't leak."

I didn't hesitate and gave him my real name.

3

The next day, Zoe showed up with red, swollen eyes.

She'd clearly cried all night, and it hurt to see her like that.

"Barbara, my mom's cough got worse last night. I begged her to get medicine, but she wouldn't go. I didn't dare tell her about the scholarship. If it comes to it, I'll drop out!"

Her voice cracked, still raw from tears.

"Zoe, don't talk like that. You're so smart, you'll get into a great college. The scholarship's not a lost cause yet, maybe a new list is coming soon."

I didn't want her spiraling, so I kept the call under wraps and just reassured her gently.

In class, I kept sneaking looks out the window, hoping Garth or some higher-up would barge in to fix the scholarship mess.

But nothing happened. Instead, the face I couldn't stand appeared.

"Barbara! Office, now!"

Kaylee flung the door open, her voice dripping with irritation and a hint of rage.

The other students started whispering, trying to guess what was up.

Kaylee's heels clacked sharply as she stormed off. The moment I stepped into the office, she slammed the door behind me.

That's when I saw Garth sitting by her desk.

"Slap!"

Before I could blink, a stinging smack hit my cheek, knocking me back a few steps. My ears buzzed as I caught my balance.