Why would a normal model exam attract so much attention of the students, they leave their lunch time and crowd around the board.
"Why, is this test important?" I asked.
Jack and Liam nodded and replied in a chorus "It is, for the toppers."
"This model exams was conducted common to all the divisions of 10th grade. Generally student who come within the top 5, in this model exam, can top the state easily" said Liam in a boring voice.
"Well, we don't have to worry about that, it's not like any of us going to top the boards. Our aim to clear the board with minimum 60% to get Computer group for senior school." told Jack ambitiously.
I casually looked at the crowd buzzing over the notice board, like army of ants on a leftover food.
Atleast 50 pair of eyes were staring at me. Their eyes wide open, the same look from Jack when the doctor told them I had lost my memory chip.
I immediately looked down, started to eat my food at 2X pace. Jack and Liam gave a look as if I went mad suddenly. I was about to ask Jack and Liam, but they were already looking at the pair of eyes looking at us from the notice board.
"Dude, did Anushya spread the word , that u had set her house on fire?" asked Jack in a nervous tone.
"Well, I think so, because she is standing amongst the student from the notice board."I said.
"Duke, we need to leave the hall right now" Liam said. "Jack eat ur damn lunch fast"
After an eternity later, the crowd stuck out their eyes from me. Slowly, they started to disperse from the notice board. Still half a dozen of eyes were on me, but I felt it's better than before. Few of the nerdy guys stared through their black-thickly-rimmed spectacles, as if I fell of from another planet.
A friendly face reached straight upto my left-hand and shaked it.
"Congrats, bro! You did it. Man, u must have worked hard. Keep it up" said the unknown-but-friendly-face-guy.
"I didn't know they congratulate people for torching their crush's house. I would have done it long back." said Liam in a terrific tone.
Jack analysed the situation and stood up with a start. "Wait, I'll be back" he said and rushed towards the noticed board which was now crowd-free. He gave me the same look as the fifty other people did a moment ago.
Enough of it, I thought. When Jack came back, sat silently on his bench, started eating the rest of his lunch slowly. I asked "Jack, what did she write? I torched her house, misbehaved with her, killed her dad?"
"Nope" Jack cut me short. "It's worse, you've topped the exams amongst 500 students" told Jack bluntly.
I looked back, too make sure Jack is only talking to me. I had already finished my lunch fromu canteen, I quickly washed my hands, reached the notice board only to see my name at Rank No 1. I froze there for a moment, till Jack and Liam came by and shook.
"Dude, if u had planned for cheating, u could have told us. There is no need to cheat in these type of tests, they won't take these grades for evaluation." told Liam.
"Yes bro, u didn't need to cheat. At least you could have cheated to get a reasonable marks, not to get a place amongst the topper. Now, it becomes obvious that u have cheated." told Jack
"Hey, u both think I copied?" I asked surprised.
"Why, isn't it obvious?" asked Liam "Dude, we are ur friends. We know what are ur strengths and weakness. Even if u had studied the entire night, there is no way that u beat the topper of 'A' division by 100 marks."
"I didn't copy, I just wrote whatever I knew" I said a tone higher than before.
"Ok, u say u got that marks, with ur own effort. U started to lie straight through ur teeth? I doubt u really lost ur memory." shouted Liam
Jack stood a few feet from us, listening to our conversation. Not able to take sides as of whom to support.
"Well, u know what's the next period" continued Liam. "It's ur favorite teacher's period, do attend his class." he said in a sarcastic tone. "U can fool us, u cannot fool him, there is no way he believes u have topped 'his' subject. He's going to pile u with questions that u cannot answer." finished Liam with a sigh.
Liam went upto Jack, who was still in a fix to support.
"Look, our dear friend tells us he didn't cheat and expects us to believe it." said Liam facing Jack.
He turned his face to mine and told "You know, when I saw ur marks, and understood u cheated, I thought of bunking the next class with u, so that the teacher won't question u. Inspite, of my attendance so low in that subject." said Liam.
I held out a huge sigh, but Liam didn't stop, he kept on ranting about me lying and betraying them. The bell rang at the top it's lungs, loud enough to stop Liam's rant.
Woah! Thank god, that was long.
"Ok, u stand on ur word, right? Then let's attend science period, now. Come on"
I didn't breathe a word, I just went with them in utter silence. No one talked on the path to the class. When I entered the class, the whole class turned their heads my side. I bent my head, followed the footsteps of Liam and Jack to my bench.
'Traitor'
It was written in a broad white chalk, all over our desk and bench.
"Well that's the last thing I want to happen today. Thanks to u buddy." said Liam in sarcastic tone.
"Well looks like we have a new topper in our class. A topper from the back bench" said a broad, dark voice filling the entire class
The whole class stood up and chanted "Good afternoon, sir."
YOU ARE READING
THE BACK BENCHERS
ActionI wake up in a hospital, only to know that I have lost my memory. I don't remember who I am and about my life. Two people seemingly of my age claimed that they were my besties. They try their best to remind me of the past, but my brain flashed a dif...
