Chapter 22 My Mother
No one missed the sheer intensity behind Natalie’s punches.
And none of them wanted to end up on the receiving end.
–
+8 Pearls
Tve got a bit of a temper, Natalie said, her voice calm. “And there’s nothing I hate more than people who can’t keep their mouths shut.
She smiled gently, tone light, as if she were joking–but every word was a warning shot.
The crowd around her all nodded rapidly, sealing their lips tight.
Bonnie had already taken the brunt of it–her nose crooked, lips swollen, and her forehead sunken and bleeding. Of course they knew Natalie wasn’t someone to cross.
Yvonne, meanwhile, was in awe of her mother. Natalie looked like one of those cold–blooded female killers on TV–cool and dangerous.
J’My mommy’s super fierce,” she told the others smugly. “If she’s in a good mood, maybe she’d just knock out a few teeth. Bad
mood? She would end you on the spot.”
The little drama queen even dragged a finger across her neck.
And somehow, the group in the corner actually looked terrified. Natalie barely spared them a glance, and they reacted like she was an evil spirit that was here to claim their lives. They were all eager to disappear.
Natalie silently pressed a hand to her forehead. So much for the image of a gentle, nurturing mom.
Iris looked at Natalie from the side. Like a cautious minister seeking permission from a queen, she asked, “Mrs. Hyperion, shall we begin the parent–teacher meeting?”
Natalie sat down again and granted her permission. “Go ahead.”
Iris took to the stage, giving a quick overview of the kids‘ recent progress and their learning atmosphere, and then moved on to announce the top ten scorers from the midterms.
Natalie listened with a strange mix of curiosity and nerves.
It was her first time being a parent and attending such a meeting as a mother.
Yvonne spotted the tension on her mother’s face and thought she was worried about Christopher’s scores. She tried to reassure her and said, ‘Don’t worry, Mom. Chris is super smart. He always gets first place.”
Natalie wasn’t worried about Christopher’s grades.
A kid who skipped straight to sixth grade at five years old? That kind of genius didn’t suddenly flop.
Iris began reading the rankings. “First place in the midterms: Ronnie Fourside. Second place goes to Christopher Hyperion.”
The moment Bonnie, who had barely awoken, heard her son had taken first place, she glanced triumphantly at Natalie.
Natalie didn’t even look at her. Her attention went to her son, sitting silently beside her.
She thought maybe he was upset about slipping to second place; Natalie reached out and gently ruffled his hair.
“It’s okay, Chris. One mistake doesn’t define anything. Even if you’re not first, you’ll always be number one in my heart.”
She’d read online that moms needed to learn how to encourage their kids. And she’d been studying this whole parenting thing pretty seriously.
“Natalie, that’s gross,” Christopher muttered, swatting her hand away. He then stood up and walked off.
Yvonne hurried after him.
Chapter 22 My Mother
The meeting ended soon after, but before Natalie could leave, Iris stopped her
Back in the office, Iris handed her a glass of water
+8 Pearls
“I’ve been teaching for years, the said. “And your son is the brightest kid I’ve ever met. He’s a true prodigy. He’s always been first in class, first in the entire grade.”
Natalie said, “Everyone makes mistakes, especially kids. Grades don’t matter as much to me—I just want him to be happy!
She assumed Iris was about to mention something Christopher made a mistake in on the test.
But Iris shook her head. “This wasn’t a mistake. He didn’t drop in rank because he got anything wrong. He dropped in rank because he didn’t write the essay.
Natalie was stunned. The essay was a major part of the language test.
“Did he run out of time? Or was the topic too hard?”
“Neither”
Iris pulled open a drawer and took out Christopher’s exam sheet.
The paper was spotless–every question answered perfectly. Except for the essay section.
It was completely blank. He hadn’t written a single word.
Natalie looked down at the question, and then she understood.
The topic was my mother.
“There’s going to be a creative writing section added to the International Math Championship in three days,” Iris explained. “The essay topic is the same. Mrs. Hyperion, could you please ensure that Christopher completes the essay?
“This is important for the upcoming competition. The International Championship only happens once every five years. Christopher loves math, and he’s determined to win. Please, Mrs. Hyperion, give this matter the attention it deserves.
That was Iris’s final reminder as Natalie stepped out of the office.
Then, a shout rang out in the distance, from the direction of the school’s outdoor pool.
A crowd had already gathered.
A small figure struggled in the water, flailing his arms.
The more he struggled, the deeper he went.
Natalie rushed over. The moment she saw who it was, her heart nearly jumped out from her throat.
Without hesitation, she dove in. She wrapped her arms around Christopher, who was drowning, but he pushed her away.
The boy would rather drown than let her save him.
As she fell into a trance, Jonathan appeared–diving into the water and scooping Christopher into his arms.
The boy was soaked through. Water dripped from his hair, his pale face stripped of its usual fierceness. He clung tightly to Jonathan’s neck, wide–eyed and shaken.
He looked like a terrified puppy that had just been left out in the cold. It was the kind of look that pierced straight through
the heart.
Milo rushed over with his jacket and wrapped it around the boy the moment they climbed out of the pool.
Jonathan gently patted his son’s back. When Christopher finally coughed up the water, he finally let out a long, relieved breath.
