44 Accusations
As the day dragged on, the scene seemed to replay in every classroom. In each subject, the results from the mock exams were handed out, and as Ms. Elara had said, Noah had aced them. The science teacher, standing tall at the front of the room, read out the top scorers for biology, chemistry, and physics with a smile of admiration.
“Noah, 100 out of 100. Full marks again,” she announced, and the class barely murmured this time. The initial shock had worn off, and though disbelief still lingered in a few corners of the room, most of the students had come to accept that Noah had somehow ascended to academic greatness.
Some students rolled their eyes, others whispered amongst themselves, but no one dared say anything aloud.
That is until the girl with the ponytail—her name was Claire—spoke up during the last class, the science class.
“Look, I know a lot of you guys are wondering if Noah really deserves these scores, but I can vouch for him. He tutored me, John, Tara and Aiden in the library,” Claire said, her voice steady, though her friends nodded in agreement, backing her up.
There was a ripple of surprise across the room. Claire wasn’t just any student; she was one of the top performers in the sciences, always scoring around 80/100 in subjects like biology, chemistry, and physics.
On this Mock exam, she scored 90/100, which broke all her previous high scores.
Her words carried weight, and the fact that she publicly admitted Noah tutored her raised eyebrows.
“I wasn’t sure about his rapid change at first either,” Claire continued. “But after that session, I can say for certain that he knows his stuff. If anyone deserves those marks, it’s him.”
Her friends echoed her statements and the atmosphere in the classroom shifted slightly. Those who were silently sceptical now had to reconsider. If Claire, who had received a high score in science, vouched for Noah, then maybe it wasn’t impossible after all.
Mark, sitting at his desk with a twisted grin, couldn’t hold back any longer. He had been quietly watching the whole scene unfold, and the last thing he wanted was to lose the bet and have to call Noah his father. That thought alone burned deep within him.
With a dramatic scoff, he pushed his chair back, standing up to address the class. His eyes fixated on Claire, who had just vouched for Noah. The intensity of his stare made her shift uneasily in her seat.
“Hmph, Claire,” Mark began, his voice laced with condescension, “let me ask you a question.” His smirk widened as he took a step forward, making Claire feel even more on edge.
23:11
“Yes?” she replied, her voice hesitating slightly.
Mark crossed his arms, his posture dripping with arrogance. “You’ve been stuck in the 80s range for months now.
No offence, but you’ve never broken through that barrier. Suddenly, Noah, who couldn’t even score above 45, tutors you, and not only do you jump to the 90s, but he scores a perfect 100. Doesn’t that seem… suspicious to anyone?”
The room fell silent, his words hitting their mark. The implication hung in the air like a storm cloud, casting a shadow over the confidence Claire had shown just moments earlier.
“You’re saying he magically becomes a genius overnight? And you, his student, suddenly improve too?” Mark’s grin widened as he turned to the class, his eyes gleaming. “Sounds to me like someone got their hands on the answers ahead of time and conveniently shared them with his little study group.”
A murmur rippled through the classroom. Students exchanged looks, some nodding their heads in agreement. The seeds of doubt had been planted, and they quickly took root.
Noah remained quiet, his face calm.
Claire, visibly shaken by the accusation, opened her mouth to speak, but Mark cut her off.
“Don’t lie, Claire. You’ve been struggling for months, and now, all of a sudden, after one or two study sessions with Noah, you’re scoring 90s? It’s too convenient. Either you’re covering for him, or you’re in on it. Which is it?”
The class erupted into whispers. Some students shot glances at Noah and Claire, while others looked toward the science teacher, waiting for him to step in.
Noah’s gaze lingered on Claire, whose face was still flushed with both embarrassment and frustration.
She had always been quiet, never one to speak up or show such courage, especially in a situation like this. But today, she had taken a stand for him, and that didn’t go unnoticed.
“Sigh!” Noah muttered under his breath, casting a cold glance toward Mark, who was basking in the satisfaction of the chaos he had caused. Mark had always been that way—petty and full of arrogance. But today, he was pushing the wrong buttons, and Noah wasn’t about to let it slide.
Mark’s smirk widened, convinced he had won the battle. His accusations had cast doubt, and now, in front of everyone, Noah and Claire were painted as cheaters. He had stirred the pot enough to avoid the humiliation of losing their bet.
But Noah wasn’t going to have it anymore, Mark had crossed the line and borderline bullied the poor girl who stood up for him with his twisted schemes.
He straightened up in his seat, his voice cutting through the tension in the room like a blade. “Enough, Mark.”
The sudden shift in Noah’s tone made the whole class go silent. Even those who were whispering and exchanging glances turned their attention to the confrontation. Noah’s usual calm demeanour was replaced by something sharper, colder.
“I know your little tricks,” Noah continued, his voice growing icier with each word. “You don’t want to fulfil the bet, and that’s fine. But if you dare pull this kind of stunt again, I’ll make you wish your mum did not drop you on your head as a child.”
A murmur ran through the class, the weight of Noah’s words hanging in the air. Mark’s smug grin faltered, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the seriousness in Noah’s tone.
“Now that you pissed me off, I will let you in on something.” Noah’s voice dropped, cold and cutting. “The principal called me to his office after school. I’ll be dealing with your nonsense accusations then. But that’s not all.”
Noah stood up from his seat, his presence commanding the attention of everyone in the room. His eyes were locked on Mark, and the coldness in his gaze sent a shiver down the spines of everyone watching. Even Mark, who had been so confident just moments before, instinctively took a step back without realizing it.
“If I prove my innocence, and you even think about not honouring your bet, I will make you regret it. You remember what happened in the alleyway last time?” Noah’s voice grew even darker, colder. “That was me being merciful.”
Mark visibly tensed, his face losing a bit of its colour as he remembered the incident Noah was referring to.
He had thought it was a one-off, something that wouldn’t happen again. But now, Noah’s cold stare and ominous tone made it clear that he wasn’t playing around.
“Are you threatening me?” Mark stammered, trying to regain some control of the situation. He turned to the teacher, who was watching the scene unfold with concern. “Are you hearing this, teacher?”
“That’s enough Noah,” said the teacher, as he sighed.
Noah didn’t even flinch. His gaze remained locked on Mark, unyielding and unafraid. “No, Mark. I’m not threatening you.” His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “I’m warning you. Don’t push your luck. It’s about to run out.”
The entire class watched, wide-eyed, as Mark stood there, frozen in place. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. The tension, was thick enough to cut through, as Noah’s words echoed in the air.
“I was going to let you off easy,” Noah said, taking a step closer to Mark, who instinctively backed away again. “But now? Tsk. Not so easy anymore. After I prove my innocence to the principal and the other teachers, I’ll deal with you. Properly.”
The weight of Noah’s promise sent another wave of whispers through the class, but no one dared to speak too loudly. The cold fury in Noah’s voice was something none of them had ever heard before, and even the boldest students didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire.
Claire, who had been silent through the entire exchange, felt her heart race. She glanced up at Noah, her eyes tracing the sharp lines of his face, his piercing gaze that had never wavered in the face of Mark’s accusations. The way he stood up for her, the way he confidently took control of the situation—he had protected her without a second thought.
Her heart fluttered, warmth spreading through her chest as she realized what was happening.
She had tried to defend him, but in the end, it was Noah who stood up and shielded her. The butterflies in her stomach made her feel light-headed as she gazed at him, her cheeks warming with a blush she tried desperately to hide.
Noah was simply… too much. His presence, his confidence, the way he commanded the room without even trying—it was all overwhelming in the best way.
She hadn’t expected him to protect her like this, but now that he had, she couldn’t stop herself from admiring him. His deep, steady eyes, his strong voice—it all made her feel something she hadn’t felt before.
Lost in her thoughts, Claire found herself staring at Noah longer than she intended, her mind swirling with admiration.
His fearless attitude, his ability to handle the accusations—it made her heart race even faster. She had never seen this side of him before, and now that she had, she couldn’t look away.
Lily who was observing everything, thought as she shook her head. “Someone fell in love.”
Noah sat back down, still glaring at Mark.
Mark, now visibly shaken, remained silent, his earlier arrogance gone. The entire class could sense the shift, and no one dared to question Noah again.
As the final bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, Aiden, who had been sitting next to Noah through the chaos of the day, leaned in and clapped him on the shoulder.
He hadn’t intervened because he knew that Noah was strong enough to handle himself, he didn’t need his help. He also knew that his help would amount to nothing, since he is Noah’s best friend the others would think he is just covering for him.
“Don’t worry, man,” Aiden said with a smirk, “even if you did cheat—which I know you didn’t—you’ve still got that Lambo and your Michelin-starred restaurant. Who gives a damn about school? Let these dogs bark; they amount to nothing in the real world.”
Noah chuckled lightly, though his mind was elsewhere. He wasn’t worried, not in the slightest. He knew he didn’t cheat, and that was enough for him.
Besides, with the “All-rounder High School Knowledge” from the system, why would he need to cheat? Still, the constant whispers and side-eye glances from classmates didn’t bother him. In fact, he found it amusing more than anything. People were always quick to judge, especially when someone they deemed beneath them suddenly rose to the top. It wasn’t about the truth; it was about them dealing with their own insecurities, their inability to accept that someone could change could improve.
As they left the classroom, Aiden stretched, throwing an arm around Noah’s shoulders. “Seriously, man, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Let them talk. They’ll be begging for a job at your restaurant someday.”
Noah smiled, shaking his head at Aiden’s confidence. “You’re not wrong,” he muttered.
But while Aiden’s words were lighthearted and reassuring, Noah couldn’t help but feel a subtle undercurrent in the way people now treated him.
There was respect from some, yes, but also envy and envy could be a dangerous thing. He knew better than anyone how people could turn their frustrations into resentment.
“Humans are so weak…”
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Risaliyah