The Art of Cheating | changlix

Question 1

Grades above Dance
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He could start crying, literally. He felt like he'd gotten kicked in the stomach. Punched in the face. Felix couldn't get kicked off the dance team. It was what he lived to do.

"Please tell me you're joking!" He cried, panic rising within his chest, making his breathing uneven and quick. "For the love of God, please tell me you're screwing with me."

The dance instructor, Ms. Choi, only shook her head, her black bobbed hair swaying with it. Sighing in despair, she told him the words Felix had been trying to avoid the whole semester. "You're a wonderful dancer, Felix, don't get me wrong. But if you're going to stay on the dance team, you have to pass your exams at the end of this semester."

Felix's jaw dropped to the shaggy red carpet on the floor, and his knuckles turned white with how hard he was gripping the sides of the chair. "But the exams are two weeks away! How am I supposed to study that fast?"

"Well," the instructor shrugged, tidying up a few papers on her desk with such nonchalance that it made Felix sick. He could feel his heart drop, knowing her next words. "You're gonna have to study extra hard."

"Please," Felix begged, dropping from the chair to his knees in a quick second, losing any pride and ego his body contained in that single moment. "I'll do anything."

"Then study. You're failing two classes, and believe me, I begged for another way to keep you on the team, but the best I could get from Principal Park was getting you to pass those exams." Ms. Choi said, leaning forward in her rolling chair, elbows placed on her dark oak desk, hands rubbing her temples in frustration. She looked as desperate as Felix felt.

Felix nodded, reluctantly standing up from the floor. He fixed his shirt and ran a hand through his hair, gulping hard to make sure he didn't throw up right then and there. He put on a quick, fake smile, and confidently said, "I won't let you down, Ms. Choi."

"I hope not." Felix heard her mumbled before he closed her office door. Jisung, Felix's best friend, was there standing beside the door, waiting for the news of Felix's fate, though he could figure most of it out by how red his eyes looked and how he covered his mouth with one hand.

"She said, "Grades before dance, Felix." What the fuck am I supposed to do! I suck at math and history!" Felix explained, his nerves shot. He had to press his hand to his mouth as he threw up in his mouth.

Knowing his best friend a bit too well, Jisung had started to lead them towards the closest bathroom he could think of. Felix tended to get sick to the stomach when, or when he thinks, his life could possibly end.

Jisung shook his head, a pitying smile playing on his lips. "I told you to listen in class. But you said-"

"I know what I said, Jisung. And you told me I'd eat my words. And guess what." Felix grumbled, obviously annoyed. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, "I fucking am."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Jisung rubbed his back in a comforting matter. He made Felix face him, and spoke in a somewhat questioning tone, "I can help you study?"

Felix quickly shook his head, and immediately regretted doing such as it made his headache worsen, and his stomach hurt more. He started to quicken his pace to the bathroom, and stated in a voice of finality, "I am not going to drag you from your social life to help my dumbass study for something I screwed myself over with. Don't even think-"