SIX

I opened the envelope to find, my daughter had failed, and was being held back a year.

Scarlet Sapphira took a picture of a construction she had made in the centre of her room and hearing the low footsteps of her parents, she pulled a pen and the whole thing came crashing down as she braced for impact.

I walked into her already messy room and saw an even bigger mess in the centre and was about to scream at her to clean her room and the entire mansion when Rose told me to stand in a corner and count to ten, then went to sit by her daughter.

"Scarlet Sapphira, I wanted to tell you, your grades haven't been the best and now you're being held back for a year..."Rose began.

The girl's pained and hurt expression said it all, she was devastated, Rose continued to say,"I'm really sorry but, you still have one more chance for a make-up test. The test will come in two weeks, right before the Summer vacation and I really hope you could pass it, please Scarlet Sapphira."

"I'll do my very best mom, I won't disappoint you, I promise."

"Atta girl."Rose said, then kissed her forehead.

She then took me outside, where I could let out some steam as Scarlet Sapphira turned to her back with her hands behind her head of blood like hair.

She took a deep breath, then smiled at the thought of seeing us proud of their child...

For the next two weeks, Scarlet Sapphira stayed glued to her books, she missed her cousin's reward ceremonies and the party that was thrown on behalf of them, she missed her brother's rewarding feast, and she missed the grand reopening of Aqua, pouring her heart and soul into her studies.

I felt proud of her holding the results of the test and slowly opened it, she had failed...

***

We went to the school several times to make sure there was no mistake, she had done nothing but prepare, how could she fail?

She didn't have dyslexia for a fact as she was only a carrier, like her brother, she didn't have any eye defects since none of us did and didn't have any immediate family members that had them around her age, what then was the problem?

And so, my daughter was held back, three times, as her brother progressed and even skipped four classes.

By the third time, she tore open one of the two terminal reports provided her, of herself and her absent brother, then looked at the perfect score, crumpled the sheet and threw it into the trash.

That afternoon after school, she shoved, as usual, her brother's usual perfect result but her's was missing.

I called her back as she tried to bound up the stairs and asked her where her's was and get this, she shrugged, shrugged!!!

"What do you mean you don't know?"I asked.

She sighed and said,"I mean, I don't keep track of stuff I throw into the trash."

With that, she just ran up to her room, ignoring my calls for her to return, I looked at Rose, who sat looking at me with a sorrowful expression on her face, what were we going to do with that girl?

Later that night while everyone slept, Scarlet Sapphira placed a pebble on her ring shaped balancing structure then it all came crumbling down when Jack Johnson startled her.

"Geez, do you want to give me a heart attack?!"She yelled silently.

"I'm sorry Scarlet, what was that sis?"

"Something unimportant, go to bed, otherwise you'll sleep in tomorrow."

"First I have a question, why did you throw this out?"She looked at him then got a sullen expression.

"Jack I'm so sorry I threw it out, I was just so jealous of your grades so threw this one out to make myself feel better."

"Scarlet, this has your name on it."He said.

She looked down, and away from him, he could feel the overwhelming guilt and sorrow within her as she said,"I cloned your paper."

"What?"

"I cloned your test score and omitted your name from it so I could feel good with myself for once, but felt even worse so threw it out, that's why I couldn't tell dad where it was, because I deleted them."

"Scarlet..."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I just... nevermind, go back to bed."

He never knew his sister could be so desperate, so spoke,"Then maybe I could tutor you."

"You've already tried and failed."

"Then we could..."

"Jack, it's okay, I'm okay... goodnight."

He slowly walked away, holding the paper close, then she sighed,"I'm sorry Jack..."

***

The next day, Scarlet Sapphira was having a History class with her usual debate, where she asked,"Question, if George Washington really was unable to tell a lie, why did he cut down the cherry tree in the first place? I mean, it's either he just wanted to gloat about how honest he was by getting into trouble and confessing or he lied about cutting down the tree in the first place, also to look good, I know this story is most probably untrue, but doesn't lying about a said to be honest man go against all he stood for?"

"The reason to that question has not been stated."The teacher said.

"But why? Why don't we know about the primary aspects of our history, the foundations of our world today? Why do you teach inaccurate details in schools for students to write examinations and get perfect scores, only to know nothing but lies?"She asked.

She sighed then asked,"And I suppose you have the answer to that?"

"The answers from my perspective are of little importance."

"And why may that be?"

"Because you don't have a sufficient amount of intellect to understand my point of view, as you don't have a sufficient amount of intellect to properly teach this class."

There was a crowd gasp as the woman frowned then said,"Principal's office, now."

"Gladly."She said, picking up her bag.

"And close the door behind..."

Bang!! Smash...

Scarlet Sapphira came out of the bathroom and slowly but sensuously marched towards the principal's office, and the moment she got there, Jack Johnson briskly walked out and she sighed.

She then threw her bag to the floor and placed her feet on her paperwork while reclined on the seat and asked,"What up M Bones?"

Principal Jones sighed as water dropped from her sneakers onto her papers, she gently lifted Scarlet Sapphira's feet and put them to the side, only for the girl to force them back, knocking almost everything down.

The woman looked at Scarlet Sapphira then said,"Scarlet, we have been observing you..."

"You mean my brother's been observing me?"She asked, scratching her teeth.

The principal sighed then said,"Yes, your brother has been observing you and assured me that you are much more intelligent than you let show, he even said you were able to clone his papers and omit his name, putting yours in when the test scores are kept protected by an automatically updating firewall, impressive."

She sighed then said,"As much as I'd like to take the credit, I couldn't."

"Stop being modest, child..."

"No seriously, I paid someone to do it for me, I didn't think my brother would rat me out so I lied that it was me."

"But even then, you have so much potential, you challenge instructors and make them spend the entire next week at home, preparing for your next question, you have also been found doodling in class and talking to yourself on several occasions, all signs of a very bright mind."She said.

"Or maybe one with an overactive imagination which would probably turn them into a serial killer."Scarlet Sapphira answered.

The principal was silent for a few seconds before she moved a contract towards Scarlet Sapphira, from the floor, saying,"Scarlet Sapphira, this is a request for an IQ test and I'd need both your parents' signatures or initials on this, bring it tomorrow with them if you wish to proceed."

Scarlet Sapphira took the paper then asked,"And how do you know I wouldn't just throw it away like I did before?"

"... because I trust you'd do the right thing."

"Huh, haven't I heard that before?"She asked.

Scarlet got up, knocking everything else with her bag and stepping on the important documents with her wet feet, before soiling the carpet on her way out again.

The principal sighed and called the janitor, who asked whether it was ' her ' again, the principal sighed, ai, it was the lass...