Don't Mess Up With That Poor Boy

My name is Mike Hugh, and I'm a student in Class 1, Grade 2 at No.3 High School. My grades have always been the best in my year, and that's the only thing I'm proud of in an otherwise dull life. I share a dorm with Leo Clark. His family is really rich, and he's decked out in designer brands from head to toe. But his grades are a total disaster, and every exam he's just looking for an easy way out. On the day of the midterm math exam, right after the papers were handed out, Leo elbowed me. He lowered his voice and slipped me a crumpled note, asking me for the answers to the multiple-choice questions. I frowned, shook my head firmly, and told him I wouldn't help him cheat. The exam room was so quiet you could hear the pen scratching on paper—my refusal sounded even clearer. When it was time to hand in the papers, Quincy Scott happened to be standing right next to me collecting them. She was the school's recognized beauty—not only was she good-looking, but she had a kind heart. She clearly saw Leo Clark's little sneaky move just now. "Mike Hugh, you did the right thing. Cheating is wrong." Quincy smiled at me, her eyes full of approval. That smile was like sunshine on a spring day, instantly brightening my dull mood. My cheeks flushed, and I quickly lowered my head to say thank you. I thought it was just a small issue, but I never expected it to completely set off Leo Clark. He's always had a thing for Quincy Scott, and seeing her look at me differently made jealousy grow inside him like poison ivy. On the day the results were out, I was still first in the whole grade and was supposed to get the national scholarship. But then the Dean of Discipline suddenly called me in, saying someone had reported me for cheating, with a few blurry photos as evidence. The person in the photos was wearing the same school uniform as me, sneaking around in the exam room. I recognized right away that Leo had someone Photoshop it—he didn't even bother to find someone who actually looked like me. I tried to explain to the Dean of Discipline that I hadn't cheated, but he wouldn't listen at all. Leo Clark acted all fake and said, "Mike, if you really didn't cheat, how come there are photos? We're classmates after all; just admit it, it's no big deal." In the end, the school took away my scholarship and gave it to Leo, who was ranked second. I looked at Leo, smug as ever, feeling both angry and wronged, but I had no way to defend myself. It wasn't over yet. Leo saw me as a nuisance and even teamed up with Ms. Warren, our homeroom teacher, to target me. Ms. Warren took gifts from Leo Clark's family and always looks for ways to pick on me, constantly throwing subtle accusations around the class that I have "bad intentions." One time, Leo deliberately threw my textbook on the floor, and when I bent down to pick it up, he stepped on it. I couldn't help but argue with him, and just then Ms. Warren happened to walk by and, without hearing my side, accused me of "causing trouble." Teacher Linda, the school nurse, happened to come to the office to deliver something and couldn't help but speak up in my defense when she saw what was happening. She said I'm usually introverted and wouldn't start any trouble, and asked Ms. Warren to get the facts straight before jumping to conclusions. Those few fair words completely pissed off Leo Clark and Ms. Warren. They teamed up to report Teacher Linda to the school for ‘favoring students,' which forced her to leave. Watching Teacher Linda pack up and leave with that lonely figure, I felt filled with guilt. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have lost that stable job. My home's in a shantytown on the city outskirts, and it's just me and my grandfather there. My grandfather is over seventy now. His legs aren't what they used to be, but he still has to pick through trash to support our family. I know how hard my grandfather works, so I've been pushing myself to study hard, hoping to get into a good university and give him a better life. But I never expected that my hard work and success would end up causing trouble for my grandfather. That weekend, Grandpa and I had just left the recycling center when we ran into Leo Clark and his crew. They blocked the street with those shady smirks on their faces and surrounded us. "Well, isn’t this the top student? What are you doing here with an old scavenger?" Leo Clark shoved his hands in his pockets, his voice thick with sarcasm. Grandfather stepped in front of me and whispered, "Kids, we're on our way home. Please move aside." "On your way home?" Leo Clark scoffed and kicked the bag of recyclables out of Grandfather's hands. Bottles and cans scattered all over the ground, ruining all the recyclables Grandfather had painstakingly gathered.