The examination hall was filled with students, and everyone felt excited about the examination. It was a Friday morning, and the sun was smiling on us. I was revising with my friends, and I was so sure I was going to have a good grade in the examination.
We still had about an hour until the examination. When Paul walked into the hall and looked so confident, I thought to myself "This boy must be well prepared for the examination". Paul was about 6 feet tall; he had brown eyes that sparkled like the stars, and his curly black hair was the envy of all the other boys in school.
Paul was an average student; he was more interested in playing volleyball. I have never seen anyone love volleyball like Paul; he once told me "I will play volleyball professionally one day". Well, I never doubted him; Paul was that good at volleyball. Paul was my friend all thanks to volleyball; he was the school volleyball captain, and I was his assistant. Though I am also a member of the school soccer team. Paul would always tease me, saying "You are playing soccer so I can get the attention of the girls". Well, that was not true, though being a member of the soccer team gave one god status back in school. I just enjoyed the game.
Paul called me aside and said, "Assistant, I have something to show". Paul had fun calling me his assistant. I replied, "Okay,what could that be?" He said "Let's step outside". I followed him, and behold, Paul brought out a paper and showed it to me. When I read the content of the paper, it was our geography examination we were about to write. I was shocked, and I asked Paul, "Who gave you this?" He looked at me and said "I broke into the principal's office and took a copy of the question paper". I looked at Paul with disbelief, and I asked him, "Hope no one else knows about this?" Before Paul could answer me, the principal was already in the examination hall with some school security men.
The principal informed everyone that there was a rumor going around that some students had seen the examination questions already. I looked at Paul, and we made eye contact. Then I realized he had shown the examination questions to some other students. The principal said with a loud and angry voice "I am going to make you all arrested and have 20 marks subtracted from all your previous examinations if you don't provide the name of the person who broke into my office to steal the examination questions".
Well, I wasn't scared at first; I thought it was all empty threats. Then I heard the sirens blaring; I was sure those were police officers. My heart started beating faster; just the picture of me being in police custody was scary.
After about ten minutes, the principal asked that all the other subjects teachers subtract 20 marks from our scores. I just stood up and shouted, "Sir, it was Paul". There was a look of disbelief on Paul's face. He shook his head and looked at me with disdain.
I thought to myself "He is only going to be suspended from school for a few weeks". I wasn't ready to lose my marks because of another person's crime.
"Paul, for your actions, you are hereby expelled from this school," the principal shouted. That came as a shock to me. I felt a sense of guilt; I had caused my friend and teammate to be expelled. Paul walked out of the hall. The other students looked at me, and I could see hate and rejection in their eyes.
I thought to myself "I just saved everyone from getting their scores reduced".
Everyone avoided me like the plague, and I felt guilty for Paul's expulsion from school. And the guilt became heavier the day I was announced as the volleyball team captain. Some of the players quit the team because they didn't trust a leader who would not defend their interests if the need arose.
I decided to quit the volleyball team so that those who left could come back and play the sport they love.
I have not heard from Paul since that day, and I still feel I could have handled the situation a little better. Hope I meet him one day so we could talk things out.At least Paul would see things from my own perspective.
I was just trying to save the day, but I became the villain.
