Beneath The Maple Tree

"The hell are you saying? Did you watch too many anime or what?" She said looking at me as if I had said something stupid. I quickly shook my head and sat down on the couch.

"No sis, like... I met this one boy under the maple tree and then when our eyes met I felt something I couldn't describe! Then I couldn't help but follow him around and when I saw a girl talking to him I wanted to just pull him away!"

".....heh" she snorted as she looked at me. I felt confused and weirded out by her behaviour. She jumped down from the stair running towards the garden and started shouting while laughing.

"MOM...!!! CODE BLUE...!! HAHAHA!!! I WON THE BET...!!"

"The hell....? Code blue...? Oi explain before running away...!!" I yelled but she was already off towards mom.

.

.

.

"Son. Are you... Into boys?" Short and fluffy pink hair and beautiful green eyes. That's my mom, a pink lioness.

I spit out the food I was eating and started coughing as I watched my mom who was carrying a poker face on. Her gentle eyes stared into my soul while my sister was laughing like a madman.

"Why would you say that?! Of course not!"

"... you sure...?" A deep blue hair, vibrant red eyes staring at the laptop. That's my dad, a blue lion.

"Of course I am not gay!"

"Hahaha, seeing how you told me about that kiddo I think it's something else~" My sister laughed at me as I just air punched her not actually hitting her.

"I am not in love with him! He's just using black magic on me...! I will prove it!"

"You bet?" My sister looked at me with a smirk. I slammed my hand on the table.

"I bet my two yachts...!"

"Heh...! Game on. I bet my one private island...!" My sister said slamming her own hand. Dad looked up as he spoke too.

"Well... Me and your mom bet our monthly salary"

"Hah! I will win...!" I said before running back towards my room.

[Just wait... I will prove it...!! I will-!!]

.

.

.

"..." Here I am again... Waiting for Hikaru to finish talking with his friend.

[Tsk... What kind of magic is it...]

"Higan, Let's go!" Hikaru said with a smile as I couldn't help but follow him while blushing slightly.

[That boy he talked with... I will track him down later..]

.

.

.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and the students of Maplewood High shuffled back to their classroom, a mix of excitement and dread hanging in the air. Today was the day of the surprise test, and everyone knew it. The rumor mill had been churning all week, and whispers of a potential three-week school tour had everyone on edge. If they all passed, the school would reward them with the trip of a lifetime.

As the students settled into their seats, Ms. Thompson, their notoriously strict teacher, walked in with a stack of papers in her hands. Her glasses perched precariously on the tip of her nose, she surveyed the room with a steely gaze.

"Good afternoon, class," she said, her voice echoing ominously. "I hope you all studied because today, we have a surprise test. And if you all pass, the school will take you on a three-week tour to the beach outside the city!"

A collective gasp filled the room. The students exchanged wide-eyed glances, the stakes suddenly feeling very real.

"Wait, what? A tour? Like, a real tour?" Jake, the class clown, blurted out, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yes, Jake. A real tour," Ms. Thompson replied, her tone unyielding. "But first, you need to pass this test. You have one hour. No talking, no cheating, and absolutely no electronic devices."

As she distributed the test papers, the tension in the room thickened. The students glanced at each other, their minds racing. Cheating was a risky business, but the allure of a three-week tour was too tempting to ignore.

"Okay, team," whispered Sarah, the class's unofficial leader, as she leaned over to her friends. "We need a plan. We can't let this opportunity slip away!"

"Right! Operation Tour is a go!" Jake exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

The students quickly huddled together, brainstorming ways to cheat without getting caught.

"Okay, how about we use the classic 'pass the note' technique?" suggested Lily, a straight-A student who was usually too nervous to break the rules.

"Too obvious," Jake replied, shaking his head. "What if we use our shoes? We can write the answers on the soles and just lift our feet up when Ms. Thompson isn't looking!"

"Or we could use the 'whispering' method," Sarah chimed in. "We can sit in pairs and just whisper the answers to each other."

"Brilliant!" Jake said, clapping his hands. "Let's do it!"

As the test began, the room was filled with the sound of scribbling pencils and the occasional cough. Ms. Thompson paced the aisles, her eyes scanning the room like a hawk.

"Remember, no talking!" she warned, her voice sharp as she caught a few students exchanging glances. The tension was palpable, and the stakes were high.

Jake, sitting next to Lily, was determined to make his plan work. He discreetly lifted his foot, revealing the answers scrawled on the sole of his shoe. "Lily, look!" he whispered, trying to keep his voice low.

Lily's eyes widened as she leaned down to read the answers. "This is genius!" she whispered back, but just as she was about to write down the answer, Ms. Thompson turned her head in their direction.

"Jake! Lily! I see you two whispering! Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" she said, her voice booming.

Both students froze, their hearts racing. "Uh, no, Ms. Thompson! Just… discussing the weather!" Jake stammered, trying to play it cool.

"Right," Ms. Thompson said, raising an eyebrow. "Keep your voices down, or I'll have to separate you"

As she walked away, Jake and Lily exchanged nervous glances. "That was close," Lily said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Meanwhile, Sarah and her partner, Mark, were trying the whispering method. "What's the answer to number three?" Sarah whispered urgently.

"I think it's 'photosynthesis,'" Mark replied, glancing around to make sure Ms. Thompson wasn't nearby.

"Are you sure? I thought it was 'cellular respiration,'" Sarah said, biting her lip.

"Just go with my answer! We need to hurry!" Mark urged, his eyes darting around the room.

As the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere grew increasingly frantic. Students were shifting in their seats, trying to find ways to communicate without getting caught.

In the back of the room, Jake had a new idea. "What if we use our calculators? We can write the answers in the memory and just recall them when we need them!"

"Great idea!" Lily said, her eyes lighting up. "But how do we do it without Ms. Thompson noticing?"

"Simple. We just pretend to be doing math problems," Jake replied, grinning.

"You idiot, it's science test who does math?!" I scolded Jake kicking his chair.

Just then, Ms. Thompson stopped in front of their desks, her eyes narrowing. "What are you two doing?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.

"Uh, just… solving problems, Ms. Thompson!" Jake said, forcing a smile.

"Is that so? Let me see your calculators," she demanded, holding out her hand.

Panic surged through Jake as he quickly pressed the buttons to erase the answers. "Uh, I mean, I was just checking my math skills!" he blurted out, trying to sound innocent.

Ms. Thompson raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "In science test?....I'll be watching you two. No funny business," she warned before moving on.

As the test continued, the students grew more desperate. Some were now resorting to writing answers on their arms, while others were trying to use their hair as a hiding place for notes.

"Okay, we need a distraction," Sarah whispered to Mark. "What if someone pretends to faint? That'll get Ms. Thompson's attention!"

"Good idea! I'll do it!" Mark said, puffing out his chest.

With a dramatic flair, Mark suddenly slumped over in his chair, his head hitting the desk with a loud thud.

"Mark!" Sarah shouted, jumping up from her seat. "Someone help him!"

The classroom erupted into chaos as students rushed to Mark's side, and Ms. Thompson hurried over, her expression a mix of concern and annoyance.

"Everyone, back to your seats!" she commanded, but her focus was now on Mark.

In the midst of the commotion, Jake and Lily seized the opportunity. They quickly exchanged answers, scribbling furiously on their papers while Ms. Thompson was distracted.

"Did it work?" Lily asked breathlessly as they finished.

"Yeah, I think so!" Jake replied, glancing at the front of the room.

Just then, Mark sat up, rubbing his head. "What happened?" he asked, looking bewildered.

"You fainted!" Sarah exclaimed, still playing the concerned friend.

"Really? Wow, I must have been studying too hard," Mark said, grinning sheepishly.

"Time's almost up! Make sure you're not writing anything down that isn't on the test!" she warned, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

With only a minute left, the students scrambled to finish their answers. Jake was sweating bullets, his mind racing as he tried to recall everything he had studied.

"Okay, pencils down!" Ms. Thompson called out, and the room fell silent.

"Now, I will collect your tests, and we will see if you all passed," she said, her tone serious. "Remember, if you all pass, the tour is on!"

The students exchanged nervous glances as they handed in their papers. The excitement of the potential trip was overshadowed by the fear of failure.

As Ms. Thompson began grading the tests, the room was filled with an anxious energy. Students whispered among themselves, speculating about their chances of passing.

"I think I did okay," Jake said, trying to sound confident.

"Me too, but what if we get caught cheating?" Lily replied, biting her nails.

"Relax! We were careful," Jake reassured her, though he felt a knot of anxiety in his stomach.

After what felt like an eternity, Ms. Thompson finally stood up, her expression unreadable. "I have graded your tests, and I must say, I am impressed with the results."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the room.

"Wait, what if we fail again?" Jake asked, his voice rising in panic.

"Then no tour," Ms. Thompson replied, crossing her arms. As the students filed out of the classroom, the excitement of the potential tour was replaced with the reality of more studying.

"I will announce the results tomorrow. Class dismissed!!" She announced before leaving the classroom. The bell rang as the students started leaving the classroom while groaning in frustration.

As they walked down the hallway, the weight of the situation hung over them. The suspense of the test results lingered in the air, leaving everyone wondering what the future held.

"We will all pass...!!" Sarah declared, determination in her voice.

"Yeah, we'll ace it!" Jake added, though he couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty.

As they parted ways, the suspense of the test result loomed large, but so did the excitement of what lay ahead. Would we pass? Would we finally get the chance to go on the tour? Only time would tell.

_To Be Continue_