Chapter 15
With only a few months left until the SATs, every student had shifted into full-on review mode. Instead of going over the basics again, they decided to break down the question types. Classmates attempted a timed crash course. For most students, the hardest part of learning a foreign language was the lack of context. Aurora's approach to Spanish linguistics made things click in a way that was both simple and effective. Concepts that usually required hours were explained concisely.
For the entire hour, not a single student zoned out. By the time the bell rang, they were still eager to learn. Outside Aurora's classroom, the hall was filled with mocking laughter.
“That’s hilarious. Our libido-less teacher thinks she can teach, and the others are dumb enough to sit through it,” one student scoffed.
“They’ve really thrown in the towel, huh?” another student added.
Someone in Class 1 wasn’t having it and retorted, “What we do in our class is none of your damn business. Why are you so invested in us?”
The students in Class F would have stayed quiet when people mocked them in the past. But Aurora had earned their respect. Whether it was the satisfaction of seeing her give the teachers a run for their money, or the fact that her lesson had genuinely helped them, they felt she was worth standing up for.
Hearing the commotion, Maura approached Aurora, who was still standing at the front of the room. She frowned. “The SATs are around the corner. Aurora, you’ve only just been brought back from the countryside, and your own grades are a mess. How are you in any position to teach others? With all this pressure, how can you joke around like this? You’re just going to drag them down!”
“Aurora grew up in the countryside?” someone asked.
“Yeah, my dad told me she got lost when she was little and ended up growing up in some orphanage out there. The Crawford family just recently found her and brought her home,” another replied.
Another student chimed in, “Doesn’t seem like she’s from the sticks, though.”
“Must be good genes. But no matter how good her genes are, it doesn’t change the fact she didn’t get a proper education. Honestly, she probably cheated on the entrance exam,” someone else said.
“Guess the Crawfords are just trying to make up for lost time.”
“But what’s killing me is how she has the nerve to teach. If she wants to show off, there are better ways than this,” a male student snapped, sneering.
The hallway buzzed with gossip, and the students of Class F exchanged glances, their eyes fixed on Aurora. They knew whether Aurora was putting on a show or not—they could feel the difference. Even the regular teachers didn’t leave them feeling as enlightened after a lesson. Clearly, Maura was spreading lies.
Before anyone could challenge her, Maura, with a pained expression, said, “If you really want to teach that badly, how about you come home after school and teach me? I know you weren’t happy when I tried to tutor you. But from now on, if you teach me, you can correct me whenever you’re wrong, okay?”
“Maura, she’s not worth your time,” Alison, Maura’s ever-present sidekick, chimed in.
Maura figured that with her little speech, Class F would be fed up with Aurora for wasting their time. Instead, she was met with amused, knowing glances from the entire class. Some even looked at her with outright mockery.
Those students had seen through it all. Maura, the ultimate two-faced girl, was clearly trying to turn everyone against Aurora. She acted like she was the caring sister, while her words painted a completely different picture. The hypocrisy was sickening.
One student finally spoke up, aiming right at Maura. “We want Aurora to teach us. Why do you even care?”
“Exactly! Even if she led us down the wrong path, we’d still listen to her,” someone else echoed.
Aurora hadn’t said a word the entire time. Her only intention when she started the lesson was to make up for the trouble she’d caused. She’d never expected that in just over an hour, these kids, who had grown numb from life's harsh realities, would defend her so fiercely. For the first time, she sensed a bit of that youthful fire still burning within them.
Aurora had always believed in letting the results speak for themselves. Glancing at the chattering crowd in the hallway, she finally spoke.