4
St. Augustine Academy had its perks, but there was one thing I struggled with: the teaching methods.
“Elite education” and “holistic development” were great buzzwords, but they didn’t exactly suit someone like me, who had transferred from a public school and still relied on grades to chase my dreams.
In a classroom full of students who didn’t need to worry about their futures, I was the only one who cared about the upcoming college entrance
exams.
My desk partner happened to be Ryan Chase, the resident genius of St. Augustine.
When he noticed me struggling with a question, he slid his notebook over.
“Need help, Rhea?”
I glanced at his messy handwriting, then at his face.
<
To be honest, his handwriting was nowhere near as good as his looks.
“Rhea, you seem stuck. Let me walk you through it,” he offered, assuming I needed his assistance.
“You’re wrong,” I said bluntly.
Ryan froze. “Where am I wrong?”
“You’re overcomplicating it. If you use these two points instead, it’s faster and easier to understand.”
Ryan looked like a deflated balloon, no longer eager to speak.
The entire day passed without me learning much of anything.
In my past life, this was exactly how it had gone. But back then, I’d let their words sway me.
They’d told me grades weren’t everything, that I was already smart enough and should focus on building relationships instead.
And like an idiot, I’d believed them.
I’d gotten so caught up in their world of idle chatter and social games that I’d forgotten what mattered most: my studies.
This time, I wouldn’t fall for it.
We weren’t born equal.
The heights they’d reached effortlessly were places I’d have to struggle my entire life to even glimpse.
So, I created a strict schedule for myself, sticking to the study habits that had served me well before.
After finishing my review for the day, I turned my attention to editing the photos and videos I’d taken.
In my past life, the cyberbullying from one school had been enough to suffocate me.
This time, I’d expand the battlefield.
One school wasn’t enough. I wanted the entire internet to join the party.
I uploaded the video to my account with the title: “My First Day at St. Augustine: Gourmet Food, Hot Guys, and Abs!”
The name “St. Augustine Academy” was a magnet for attention, and the video’s view count skyrocketed, quickly breaking all my previous records.
Comments flooded in:
“OMG, how did she get so lucky? A transfer student with a $150,000 scholarship?!”
“Those abs aren’t that great, though. Why was he bragging?”
“Trying to show off but ended up getting schooled by the girl. I wonder how big his ‘emotional damage‘ is right now.”
“Girl, stay true to yourself! Don’t let the glitz and glam blind you!”
Every single view and comment translated to money. Watching the numbers climb, I couldn’t help but smile.
For the first time in a long time, I slept peacefully that night.
