2
He replied to me expressionlessly, "You're welcome. Just don't be a burden to the group."
I gathered myself.
But I was still curious about why he chose me. I wondered if it was because I was a good friend of Mellissa.
At night, I went home and pondered about the turn of events for a while but was still a little baffled.
I took out my phone and sent him a message on WhatsApp: [Why did you choose me as a group member?]
After I finished my homework and almost dozed off, he replied: [You really don't know why I chose you?]
I answered honestly: [I don't.]
After a while, he replied: [I was the one who asked the vice principal to let you stay. I can't watch you keep coming last in class. Your deskmate ranks 11th, while my deskmate ranks 12th. I have chosen two top students to average your scores. If you don't study hard, you will drag the three of us down.]
After reading his message, which felt like a lecture, I felt like an incompetent student.