Chapter Four
Exam cheat
Bella checked her academic schedule to see that she was having professor's paul mid-term test and she hadn't had time to practice for it.
Shit!...I really don't know what to do and I can't fail this course" she murmured.
"Is everything okay",
"Yeah!, I have everything under control Whitney",
"Are you sure?",
"Certainly, don't you trust me",
I really don't know what to believe but for someone who has a test in a few minutes. She seemed unprepared.
"I totally forgot, I shouldn't have attended that party last night", Bella added as she struggled to arrange her stuff.
If there is one thing about Bella is making a hasty decision and I am hoping she is making the right one.
She hurried through the shower, then stepped out and quickly dressed in a pink crop top and high-waisted jeans. Grabbing her bag, she rushed out of the house.
"Good luck on your test Bella", I yelled.
I guess she was gone because she didn't answer me.
In no time Bella was at the hall and saw that the professor wasn't available. She hurried down to the toilet to put in a few notes in the toilet. Hopefully she was going to take an excuse and then look through the note to get an insight of the answer.
Perfect!
As soon as she was done putting them on. She headed out and assembled with other students.
They walked in and were given the question paper to begin answering.
Bella couldn't help it as she started to sweat profusely. Feeling so dumb at all the hard questions she took an excuse and went into the rest room to see if she could sneak in a few anwer.
Unknown to Bella professors, Paul wasn't someone that condoned any form of cheating.
His policy. Better to fail honourably than to cheat.
Who wants to fail. Anybody can want but not Bella.
She checked everywhere and couldn't find the papers. She was shocked to be met by Professor Paul on her way out.
"Are you looking for this",he said as he raised the papers to her face.
"Jesus christ….fuck!...Professor Paul is not what you are thinking",
"You are going to be meeting the board to explain yourself better" he said as he left her dumbfounded.
Bela couldn't explain how she felt. Her life was about to be ripped out.
The more she thought about it the more she wasn't seeing a way out.
Going out from Essex would really change a lot for her.
She tightened her fist into a fury.
"Why did I do it?",
She headed back to the dormitory if she remained here it was so obvious that she might lose her mind.
She hurried back to their room and was glad to meet me. She couldn't hold it down as she stumbled down helplessly.
"I think I might have to leave Essex college",
"What do you mean?",
What was going to be Bella's fate in Essex college?
"I…. I did something really bad Whitney",
"Okay, Bella whatever it is, you can tell me there isn't anything you say that would make me disappointed in you",
"I cheated on a test and I got caught and now I might get expelled",
"Oh. Jesus fucking christ", I yelled. "Cheated!",
"I know right now…I am so messed up my parents would be so disappointed. I don't know how to tell them",
"We have to find a way to fix this", I voiced out.
My whole body trembling as I recalled that Essex wasn't the school that condoned any form of examination mal-practice. This was some deep shit.
"I have decided what I am going to tell the disciplinary committee.
I am going to present them with a compelling thoughtfully, humorous statement on who I am and how I plan to learn from this experience",
"You can't go there empty-handed if you want them to go easy on you you have to bring them something like evidence", I said trying to wrap my head around the whole situation.
"I can't believe that my soul is crushed my dreams are over I guess there is no way I will be able to ever fulfil my dream of becoming a renewed scientists anymore",
"I am freaking out Whitney and to be honest I don't know what to do, I really want you to be there for me",
"I will and you need to understand that if college doesn't work out well you are going to still make something out of your life",
"Thank you", Bella said. "But I love college",
The next dad Bella was left with no other option than to meet with the disciplinary committee.
She walked into the hall and sat down faced by two professors in the department.
"I prepared a statement but it's kind of long", she announced, her hands shaking.
"It's okay, let's just start with asking you a few question",
Professor Rose was the first to speak.
"Is it true you cheated on Professor Paul's mid-term?"
"Yes", Bella stammered.
"Was Professor Paul not clear about what material were not allowed during the test?",
"He was actually",
"So do you know that what you were doing was wrong", she continued to interrogate me.
"Yes", I replied.
"I don't like how these questions are making me look", I voiced out.
"Well, what you just described is a clear violation of the Essex honour code we take that very seriously", another professor took over and spoke.
"I know, I messed up but this isn't me", I said calmly.
"I have never been in trouble in my life before but I am just kind of struggling here I didn't have time to study because I was busy taking care of my friend who had an accident and fell into coma",
"I skipped a few classes which was pretty hard at least I think so"
"I wanted to do well but I couldn't handle it all so I had to find a dishonest way to do it",
"And I don't mean to make excuses or complain but you have no idea how hard it was for me", she said hoping they would have mercy on her and change their mind.
"I am so sorry, I felt so much pressure to do well",
"I know what I did is wrong and I promise I won't do it again"
"But my spot here at Essex college means everything to me", she added.
"I can't lose it. I promise I won't do it again",
"Thank you for your statement if there isn't anything you like to share we would get back to you then", Professor Rose said before dismissing Bella.