Chapter 55
As the registration deadline for the BrainSpark Nationals approached. Annette gathered the signup sheets from The Advanced Class and handed them over to the vice principal.
The vice principal, after scanning the list, looked up with a puzzled frown. “Huh, is this it? Only a few kids from your class are participating?”
Out of the forty students in The Advanced Class, a mere three had signed up.
Annette chuckled awkwardly and explained. “I guess the kids prefer to focus on their studies rather than spend time on the competition.”
The vice principal’s gaze lingered on a few names before pausing at Mirabella’s. He seemed surprised. “Isn’t Mirabella the new girl? Why’s she signed up for this? Shouldn’t she be buckling down to catch up with the coursework at Parkside High School?”
Feeling the sting of discomfort. Annette replied, “Perhaps she’s just looking for a challenge.”
The vice principal seemed aware that Mirabella was a special admission by the principal himself, but he wasn’t privy to her academic performance. However, he had heard a snippet from Morgan a few days prior, who painted her as someone with an ego larger than life. With a frown, he grumbled, “Nonsense!”
“The Education Association is taking this BrainSpark Nationals very seriously. If this transfer student excels and makes it to the city preliminaries, it’s good. But if she doesn’t, and other schools get wind that Parkside High School fielded a transfer just to make up the numbers, where’s our pride then?”
Annette, seeing the vice principal’s stern expression, agreed internally but still protested, “Isn’t the competition open to everyone? It doesn’t seem fair to exclude a transfer student.”
The vice principal choked on his retort, “Regardless, her name has to be removed.”
Annette fell silent for a few seconds before hesitantly saying. “That… doesn’t seem right.”
Running out of patience, the vice principal snapped. “There’s nothing wrong with it.”
Annette dropped her gaze. She knew Mirabella had been brought in through connections, and judging by the vice principal’s attitude, he wasn’t the one who had done it. That left one possibility… the principal himself.
If Mirabella found out her name had been removed without reason, would she go straight to the principal? And would Annette, as the advisor, end up being scolded first thing? With this in mind, Annette quickly suggested, “How about we consult the principal before deciding?”
At that, the vice principal flung the signup sheet onto the desk in frustration. “Are you saying I can’t even handle this simple matter as the vice principal?”
Caught between respecting the principal and not offending the vice principal was a tricky business indeed!
Feeling downhearted yet maintaining a placating smile, Annette said, “I didn’t mean it that way, vice principal. It just seems unfair to cancel Mirabella’s participation without cause…”
The vice principal huffed dismissively and cut her off, “Enough, you don’t need to bother the principal. The name stays. Let’s leave it at that.”
Annette opened her mouth to protest, but the vice principal cut her off again, “If there’s nothing else, you can go. I have matters to attend to.” With a cold expression, he picked up the discarded signup sheet, strode to his desk, opened the drawer, and tossed it inside.
There was nothing more she could say, so Annette left the office, feeling awkward and disheartened.
The vice principal sank into his chair with a sour face. After a moment’s reflection, a sneer curled at the edge of his lips as if he had come to some cunning realization. He was curious to see how this student from some backwater town would embarrass the principal in the end!
