6

"Ms. Richardson, come here and sit in the front."

Pin drop silence, all sets of eyes were dead set on her, and once again she was the center of attention.

Quietly standing up with slumped shoulders she gathered her stuff and walked to the front row. Calmly sat down on one of the empty seats.

She didn't dare look up cause she was hundred percent sure Mr. Colt was watching her.

"Close all your books and notes." He said curtly.

"I'm giving you a surprise test." He announced and everyone's jaw dropped in shock.

He handed a bunch of papers to a first student and motioned him to pass them in all rows.

He just taught four classes and today a surprise test? What stupid sorcery was that?

Emma stared at the problem printed on the paper. Sweat broke on her forehead as she realized it was the same problem from yesterday.

He's checking who paid attention to his lecture and who didn't. Though she paid attention, God knows math always went above her head.

She slowly took out her pen and started solving the question at an absolute snail's pace. From her peripheral vision, she saw Mr. Colt checking all the students as they did their work.

In most of the classes, students behaved like nonchalant uninterested idiots but in his class, no one dared to even look up from their sheet of paper.

Her body stiffened and her hand stopped working as soon as she saw shining black shoes right in front of her desk.

Her fingers around the pen tightened as she continued to gaze at the paper with utmost keen interest. Writing and then erasing the formula.

She can feel his heated gaze on her head digging holes. She was waiting for him to move towards the other student but no he was standing at her head like a killer beast. Can't he see how much he intimidates her?

Without a single word, he snatched the paper from the desk and she flinched back at his sudden act.

"Enough. Stop writing and submit your test papers." He announced loudly and without further ado went to his desk as one by one students started to stand.

"You all can leave after submitting the papers." He announced and one by one the students placed their papers on his table and left.

Emma, who was too stunned by his last act, came back to her senses. Standing up slowly she gathered her stuff and almost shoved them in her bag.

She was cursing herself for not going through the lecture last night. Only if she knew today there would be a surprise test she would've practiced the whole night but it's already too late. The fact that these marks would sum up her totals of the semester worried her.

"Stay, Ms. Richardson. I need to have a word with you." His voice reached her ears and she stilled for a second before her eyes met with the venom dripping gaze of Veronica who was standing at his table for a complete three minutes now and almost everyone has left.

"You can leave. I'll answer your questions in the next class." Mr. Colt said curtly to Veronica who gave a flirty smile to him before leaving. Emma watched in a hint of shock as Veronica swayed her almost nonexistent hips.

What is this behavior?

"Come here." His voice brought her out of her thoughts and she barely stopped her gaze from meeting his eyes.

She quietly walked up to him but stood a foot away from his table as one of her hands clutched her necklace.

It was a beautiful heart pendant of her mother's. Emma used to wear it almost all the time; she never took it off after the death of her parents. Strangely she felt strong and comforted whenever she held her necklace and she often holds it whenever she's nervous.

"Yes, Mr. Colt." Emma was extremely glad that she didn't stutter.

"What's this?" He forwarded her test paper and it was already checked with three big red circles, her mistakes mocking prominently at her.

She was at a loss for words. Her hand around her bag strap tightened.

"This indicates you didn't understand anything from my lecture. Why is that?" He asked her calmly but all she felt was nervous and edgy.

No words left her mouth. Her eyes were dead set on her paper on the table.

"I've noticed your mistakes in my first class only. I've talked to your other teachers and they all seemed very happy with your performance as you're on scholarship." He said in a calm voice but all she could think of was how much he had already noticed.

Oh, Lord!

He even talked to her other teachers about her. This was so embarrassing.

"I suggest you get a tutor for your math, I'm afraid if not, it'll cause great damage to your records." His voice was deadly serious.

Emma opened her mouth to object but then closed it again. What should she say? "I- my grandfather can't afford a tutor." She said slowly.

Emma hasn't told anyone that she lives alone and has no one at her back. Everyone here knows that she lives with her grandpa because if she hasn't lied. Her bullies would've followed her to her home and lord knows what they would've done.

He was silent for a complete minute before he suggested. "You can come to my office tomorrow after your classes."

Emma's brows furrowed and she mustered the courage to ask him why.

"Why?" Her voice was soft and gentle.

"For your math tutoring, of course." He said calmly.

Her eyes shot up to his face. He was looking at the papers in his hand. His offer and so much consideration were unfathomable to her.

The fact that she would be taught by him all alone in his office wasn't sounding appealing.

"O-okay."

"Be on time tomorrow." With those words of finality, he left the class.