POV: Yuna Yu

Having school during the summer break is irritating to me. It was worse than I saw my neighbors and friends doing all summer-y activities like camping, going to waterparks, beaches while I had to sit at home or attend school.

"Yuna!" My teacher called and I snapped back into reality, "Are you with us?""Y-Yes Mr. Goldhart," I said, standing up."Good. Tell me what we were doing."Aw crap.I glance down at my coursebook. Fumbling on the pages, I looked up at the whiteboard."What we were doing isn't on the whiteboard Yuna," Mr. Goldhart said, "Which is clearly why you have to pay more attention in class or you'd be having a hard time with passing."Few students gave me odd looks and some even giggled. Color flushed into my cheeks and they suddenly felt as if they were on fire."O-Okay." I managed, sitting back on my seat again. I wasn't a delinquent type of person but I had to redo the year. It wasn't my fault, but the people failed to understand. They thought I was making up reasons or worse, I was hallucinating. I wouldn't normally care, but it was not my fault that my mother had to get stage-3 Ovarian cancer while I had to be taking my finals. She'd pushed it away like all the pains and cramps were no big deal and ignored it so that I wouldn't get worried, but instead, it backfired at one of the worst possible times. She feels guilty about ignoring it and being so reluctant and impacting me but anyone would've done that. Upon that, the early symptoms were just abdomen pains and cramps which my mother dismissed as period symptoms but who knew she had cancer? She couldn't afford to go on weekly follow-ups at the hospital and she somehow dealt with it. In the end, none of these people knew what I had gone through, what we had gone through, and that hurts me."Everyone, we're on page 43," Mr. Goldhart said, and I knew he was referring to me.I glance down, teary-eyed, and can't make out the words without dropping the tears in my eye.This can't be happening. I told myself. I'm going to come out of this. I'm going to study hard and pass the retest.The retest was in a month, and everyone in the class right now we're going to be taking it. If I'd failed to clear this retest then that would mean the end – I'd be expelled. There would be no more affordable pre-university institutions after this and no matter what happened, I had to pass this retest. A considerable part of my future depended on it."... That brings us to the end of this session," Mr. Goldhart ended and the sounds of packing up filled the room. "Yuna, a word with me, please?" Mr. Goldhart said after people started leaving.I nodded and went over to his desk, where he was sitting with his legs up on the desk. The tight formal trousers fit him perfectly and highlighted the small, blunt ridges of his leg muscles."Umm..." I said, not knowing what the conversation was going to be about.It was probably another pep talk about why I should be focusing in class, even when I was trying the hardest not to brood over what had happened. I thought."Are you aware that the retest is in a month?" He asked.Jumping right into it, huh?"Yes.""How are you preparing?" He asked, "Is there anything I could do to help?"I searched his eyes, and they were just plain, without any other intentions other than pure concern."I-I wish you could tutor me when there are a lot fewer people," I admitted, "I get distracted and start thinking about..." My voice trailed and he shifted in his chair after setting down his feet."I understand," He said calmly, "How would afterschool work for you? You'd be finished off with your year 12th classes by the afternoon."I considered it for a moment. Sure, managing two grade levels at the same time was tough, but I had to take this, or I'd be expelled."Thank you very much," I said, which brought an innocent smile to his face."Good luck," He said, "We'll start those sessions once the academic year starts. Until then, you have to keep coming to these at the regular time."I left the classroom and it was almost two in the afternoon. I gathered my belongings from the locker that was assigned to me and headed toward the dormitories. Passing through the cafeteria, I was tempted by the smell of a taco roll.I have to save some for later. I reminded myself and kept walking. I reached my room and set down my stuff on the floor and leaped onto the bed.I had to get some sleep and calm myself down.