Chapter 32 - 32: I Have To Find Him

As she was now the math representative, she had to help Ms. Acheson collect and give out homework every day. She thought the job would be tiresome. After all, there were around thirty students in the class, and it was likely at least a few of the students would be lazy and not finish their homework on time.

She was ready to have a friendly chat with students who had not handed in their homework properly. She wanted to encourage everyone to do their homework well.

But she soon discovered that her fear was unnecessary. Although some students in class seventeen didn't get good grades, they were very serious about doing their homework and would always hand their homework in on time.

Every time she needed the math homework in, she found it had been collected by the group leaders and put neatly on her desk. At no point had she had to urge anyone to hand in their homework?

She was very satisfied with her classmates' attitude towards learning.

Lanie Schultz, who taught English to Class 17, looked at Ms. Acheson's desk and sighed, "Ms. Acheson, all the homework is in already? You've only just finished your math class, right? Whereas my class representative has still not received all of the assignments yet, there are still several books missing. These students are too disobedient. They always put off doing their homework. Sometimes I have even finished all the rest of the marking, and they will still not yet have handed in."

As the former teacher in charge of the class, Ms. Acheson felt responsible for this problem, "Some classmates are not handing in their homework on time? I will talk to them. School's only just started. This is not good… I thought all the students in my class studied hard. Maybe it's because I was the headteacher that they are extra careful with my homework?"

Just then, the English representative came in with several homework books, "Ms. Schultz, here is the rest of the homework from the students who didn't hand in yesterday, there are still three books missing."

He handed the homework to Ms. Schultz, thought for a moment, and said, "Ms. Schultz, I just overheard you. I have a suggestion. How about asking Bo… Sophia Green to collect the rest of the homework? She is the math representative. She always gets all the math homework in time. But the students don't listen to me at all."

"Sophia?" Ms. Schultz was surprised, "I know her. I taught her in the first year. She was a real troublemaker, I've been pleasantly surprised that she gets her own homework done."

"No, she's not a troublemaker anymore." Ms. Acheson said quickly, "Sophia does very well in math. I don't know about her English. But I've been surprised too. She has made great progress recently. Those three girls who were always naughty with her before are now all studying very hard as well. I think, you know, a person who has lived through a life and death experience will always change. And that can only be a good thing."

She had decided that Sophia Green's change must be due to her car accident and her long stay in the hospital. That she had realized the value of life and the value of time and decided she would study hard.

It'd only been a week since the start of school, and Ms. Schultz had also already formed a good impression of Sophia Green. She thought for a while and then shook her head. "No, I'd better ask them for it myself. If Sophia wants to study hard, I won't add to her burden, which would just delay her study time."

Just then, the receptionist led a middle-aged woman through the door of the classroom. The woman entered and immediately shouted, "Where's Kevin Green's headteacher?"

Ms. Acheson was stunned, "And you are..."

"I'm Kevin's stepmother. I have to find him. Get him here now!"

"Ms. Acheson, she insists on finding Kevin Green. I had no choice but to bring her to you." Said the receptionist.

There were always parents coming to school to visit their kids. The school issued cards to them. Parents could come in if they had one of these cards.

But Linda had no card, and she looked like she had come to make trouble, shouting about being a stepmother. The receptionist had been worried about this and didn't let her come in. But Linda wouldn't back down and kept pestering, so eventually, he thought the best idea was to bring her to see Ms. Acheson first.

Ms. Acheson had known for a long time that Kevin had a stepmother called Linda Barber. Though for all the years that Kevin had been at high school, Linda had never turned up to see him or his teachers. Ms. Acheson also knew Linda's nephew, Nicholas Sands, who had often bullied Kevin. Ms. Acheson had often reprimanded Nicholas for that and met Linda at those meetings.

But this time, for once, she was here for Kevin. Ms. Acheson instinctively felt this couldn't be a good thing.

Out of politeness, Ms. Acheson asked, "Why do you need to see Kevin?"

Linda shouted, "I've come to tell him to give me my money! I just had someone check his sister's account: there is over three hundred thousand dollars in it. Besides, his sister's house and research projects are worth a lot of money. I asked a lawyer and we have a right to a share of the money. Let him come here and give me the money! Don't think that he can hide in school and not go home. I will still find him. "

After she had finished her diatribe, Ms. Schultz couldn't sit still any longer. She wasn't his headteacher, but she was very fond of Kevin. He was a hard-working, well-mannered student, and she knew enough about his life to know this woman was a nasty piece of work.

"Honestly, what have you done for Kevin Green and his sister over the years? Have you even cared about them a little? And now you have the cheek to turn up and demand money?" Ms. Schultz was really angry. "The students are in class, Jimmy. This woman is not a good person, don't let her into the teaching area!"

Ms. Acheson gave Lanie Schultz a quiet pull on the arm and motioned to her to stop talking. She knew Ms. Schultz meant well, but she had a big temper, she would say anything when she was angry. It wouldn't be good if she flew off the handle at Linda. After all, Ms.. Schultz was a teacher, and Linda could always complain.