Mrs. Patterson was halfway through a mountain of physics exams when she seriously considered setting the entire stack on fire.<\/p>\n
It was 11:43 p.m.<\/p>\n
Her coffee tasted like sadness.
\nHer cat was judging her from the couch.
\nAnd somewhere in the world, teenagers were apparently united in a conspiracy against basic science.<\/p>\n
She flipped another paper over.<\/p>\n
Question 4:
\nExplain Newton\u2019s Third Law.<\/p>\n
Student answer:
\n\u201cSir Isaac Newton discovered gravity when an apple committed assault.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Patterson closed her eyes briefly.<\/p>\n
\u201cFantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another exam.<\/p>\n
Question 7:
\nDefine velocity.<\/p>\n
Answer:
\n\u201cSpeed with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
She rubbed her forehead.<\/p>\n
Then finally\u2026<\/p>\n
she reached Tyler Morgan\u2019s paper.<\/p>\n
Of course.<\/p>\n
Tyler Morgan.<\/p>\n
The most handsome student at Westbridge High and possibly the least academically motivated human being currently breathing.<\/p>\n
The boy somehow managed to look like a movie star while failing physics with historic consistency.<\/p>\n
Girls adored him.
\nTeachers tolerated him.
\nThe football coach practically worshipped him.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Mrs. Patterson had spent the last four months writing comments like:<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease show your work.\u201d
\n\u201cDid you study?\u201d
\n\u201cAre these even words?\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler\u2019s exam score sat proudly at 28%.<\/p>\n
Which honestly might\u2019ve been generous.<\/p>\n
Then she flipped to the back page and froze.<\/p>\n
Written across the paper in large handwriting:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d do ANYTHING for a passing grade.
\nAnd I mean\u2026 anything \ud83d\ude09\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Patterson stared at it for a full five seconds.<\/p>\n
Then she laughed so hard her cat ran out of the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Tyler.
\nYou absolute idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next morning, Tyler walked into physics class with the confidence of a man who had never experienced consequences.<\/p>\n
He leaned back in his chair grinning while students nervously discussed exam grades around him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think she curved the test?\u201d someone whispered.<\/p>\n
Tyler smirked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a feeling I\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Patterson entered the classroom carrying the exams.<\/p>\n
Without smiling.<\/p>\n
Uh-oh.<\/p>\n
One by one, papers returned.<\/p>\n
C-.
\nD.
\nB+.<\/p>\n
Then finally:<\/p>\n
\u201cTyler.
\nStay after class.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every guy in the room immediately went:<\/p>\n
\u201cOHHHHHH.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler grinned wider.<\/p>\n
Because apparently his survival instincts were broken.<\/p>\n
The bell rang.<\/p>\n
Students poured out laughing while Tyler casually strolled toward her desk adjusting his jacket like he was entering a romantic comedy.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Patterson slowly removed her glasses.<\/p>\n
Tyler visibly straightened.<\/p>\n
Oh no.<\/p>\n
Then she leaned slightly closer across the desk.<\/p>\n
Close enough that Tyler looked fully convinced his ridiculous little note actually worked.<\/p>\n
In a low voice she whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cI read what you wrote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler swallowed nervously.<\/p>\n
\u201cI figured.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Patterson nodded once seriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said you\u2019d do ANYTHING for a passing grade.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler smirked slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026Maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
She leaned even closer.<\/p>\n
The poor idiot practically stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
Then Mrs. Patterson whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler blinked.<\/p>\n
Then she slid a massive packet onto the desk with a loud THUD.<\/p>\n
Extra credit assignments.
\nMissing homework.
\nPractice exams.
\nStudy guides.<\/p>\n
Enough paperwork to emotionally damage a college student.<\/p>\n
Tyler stared at it in horror.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Patterson smiled sweetly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen start by doing your homework for once.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Absolute silence.<\/p>\n
Tyler looked personally betrayed by reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 that\u2019s it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Patterson raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly were you expecting, Mr. Morgan?\u201d<\/p>\n
His face turned violently red.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing!
\nI mean\u2014
\nI just thought\u2014
\nYou leaned in all dramatic\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now you\u2019ve learned an important physics lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat lesson?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Patterson calmly put her glasses back on.<\/p>\n
\u201cActions have consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Somewhere in the hallway, a student overheard the conversation and immediately burst out laughing.<\/p>\n
Within hours, the entire school knew.<\/p>\n
By lunch period, Tyler had earned a new nickname:<\/p>\n
\u201cExtra Credit Romeo.\u201d<\/p>\n
And somehow\u2026<\/p>\n
for the first time all year\u2026<\/p>\n
he actually started turning his homework in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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