Lenore sat immobile in her room as she stared blankly at the books, notebooks, and notes on her desk. With the dusk falling, she instinctively turned on the lamp on her desk. The glow through the pink lamp shade enlivened her. Immediately, she again became aware of what she needed to do that evening.

She was already primed to start earlier. However, the numbers, equations, and formulas were so paralyzingly overwhelming. Mathematics was never her favorite subject which explained her lackadaisical attitude since the classes started. But the continued getting zeros or less than average scores on quizzes had become a pressing issue. The danger of retaking the subject and earning a lower GPA scared her.

Hence, with the renewed strength and purpose, she proceeded to bury herself in the Math books, notebooks, and notes on her desk. As a pleasant distraction, she occasionally rubbed the belly of her snoring miniature dachshund, Ming, all cradled in her lap.

She pressed on deep into the night until she felt contented. Yawning, Ming and she went to their separate beds for the night.

She woke up feeling refreshed.

“I’ll ace that Math quiz!” she exclaimed, dancing around snoring Ming while pumping her fists for an early celebration.

She quickly finished off the hearty breakfast that her mom prepared for her. She gave both mom and dad a kiss. Hugged Ming goodbye at the door and went off to school with a spring in her step.

The classes in the morning session came and went. She breezed through the pop quizzes. When the bell rang to end the session, she went to the lunch room hoping to find the only boy she was comfortable being with.

“Hi, Carlos!” she said as she eased herself into a chair across the table from the boy.

“Hello, Lenore. How are you today?”

“Oh, I am fine. I studied hard for our Math quiz this afternoon and I think I am ready. I’m sure you didn’t prepare much since you are a whiz at it.”

“Me, a whiz at it? Not at all. I still use my 10 fingers for simple addition and subtraction!” he said with a self-deprecating laugh.

“You’re being silly!”

They giggled as they consumed what their lunch bags offered.

The lunchtime almost over, Carlos and she walked to the classroom for the Math quiz. As the bell rang to announce the start of the class, Lenore started to feel uneasy. The memorized numbers, equations, and formulas somehow became a blended mess in her mind.

“Hey, Carlos. I am worried. I feel like I am going to flunk the quiz. Everything is all jumbled up now.”

“Don’t worry. I will help you,” Carlos consoled her. “Just sit next to me,” he added.

She did sit next to Carlos. The quiz form was on her desk but she just stared at it. Carlos; however, just barreled through the pages in no time at all.

Suddenly, she noticed a piece of paper being handed to her.

She turned to look. It was Carlos stealthily handing her the answers to the quiz!

The sight made her freeze. In an instant, she trembled. She was terror-stricken!

“What? What should I do? Should I take it? If I don’t, I’ll flunk the quiz. But is it right?” She struggled. She knew she had to make a decision immediately since the teacher might catch the attempt.

She somehow quickly reminded herself that she was a good Catholic girl who always prayed the rosary, went to confession, went to mass, and took communion.

Carlos, detecting the hesitation, offered it to her again and again.

“No, thank you,” she finally said under her breath, as someone else reached for the paper.

It was Deana, the leader of a group of three boisterous and loud classmates, snatching the paper from Carlos.

“Saint Thomas, please guide me,” she prayed in silence as she opened the quiz form.

When she pointed the pencil to question #1, the pencil just glided as it formulated the answer. It was as if it had a mind of its own. She felt transfixed until she completed the quiz. She made the sign of the cross. She gave out a big sigh of relief as she handed her completed quiz form.

While she was leaving the room, she noticed Deana, Loretta, and Manuel happily submitting theirs to the teacher who was seated at the table in front, eyes locked on a book on Mathematics.

“How did you do?” Carlos asked.

“I think I did quite well. The answers came so easily. Thanks to St. Thomas for helping me.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, honestly, I could tell. It was as if St. Thomas was holding my hand as I answered the questions.”

“Oh, you Catholic girls are something else!” he laughed.

“Time for the retreat,” a faint voice followed a knock on her door.

“Yes, Reverend Mother,” she answered, withdrawing from that moment in the past.

She stood up from her chair and drew the blinds on her window. She smoothened a small crease on her bed cover on her way to the door.

She briefly wondered about the whiz kid as she turned off the switch in her small, spartan 4-walled room.

Lenore, now Sister Mary Thomas, approached the chapel in rapt silence.

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Thanks to EP for the inspiration and feedback.