|Crescent Valley High|

MARIANA

“Genes are hereditary units… the basic units of inheritance. They are located in chromosomes and responsible for transmitting traits from parents to offspring…” Our biology teacher, Mr. Edward, droned on, reading straight from the textbook. The class was so boring that I was struggling to stay awake, and Mr. Edward didn’t make any effort to liven things up.

Resting my head on my hands, I dozed off for a bit before his booming voice jolted me awake.

“Mariana Jackson, are you sleeping in my class?” he asked coldly.

“No, sir, I wasn’t sleeping,” I lied, forcing my eyes open.

“What were you doing, then?” he pressed.

“I was just… resting my head for a few seconds,” I replied, and laughter rippled through the class.

“Silence!” he barked, and everyone went quiet. “If you weren’t sleeping, then what was the last thing I said?”

My mind went blank. “Uh… you said that… um…” I stammered, feeling heat creep up my cheeks. Mr. Edward shook his head.

“I’ve been teaching all this time, and nothing’s sinking in? How are you even one of the best students here?” he said with exasperation, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“You can sit down, Miss Jackson. I’m sure you’ll review this on your own later,” he added, and I nodded, sitting down quickly.

“Thank you, sir,” I murmured.

“You’re so lucky, teacher’s pet,” Vanessa whispered beside me, faking jealousy.

“Oh, like you’re not one too,” I shot back with a grin, and we shared a quiet laugh before refocusing on the lesson.

Mr. Edward had barely resumed his monotone lecture when the principal’s voice suddenly crackled through the loudspeaker.

“All students should report to the hall immediately. We’ll be announcing the results of the scholarship examinations,” the principal’s voice announced.

At that, the entire class sprang from their seats, and Vanessa and I rushed out, leaving Mr. Edward behind.

“Hey! The biology class isn’t over yet!” he called out.

“We know!” a student shouted back, laughing. “We’re just taking a well-earned break!”

In the hall, students scattered to find seats. I spotted Julia waving us over, and Vanessa and I joined her. The rest of our friends, Damien, Anthony, and Katherine, were already there, so we settled in together.

“Hey, guys!” Vanessa and I greeted in unison.

“They’re about to announce the names. I’m so nervous,” Damien whispered, rubbing his hands.

“Relax, man,” Anthony reassured him. “Just have faith.”

Damien sighed, still looking anxious. “I’m trying, but it’d be incredible if we made the list.”

“Calm down, Damien,” I started, trying to ease his nerves, but the principal’s loud voice cut me off.

“Good day, students. We’re about to announce the names of those who passed the scholarship exams,” the principal began. “The results have been compiled, and the names are about to appear on the screen.”

A large screen switched on, and names with scores began scrolling. My stomach twisted as I scanned them, and my heart sank when I didn’t see my name on the first several. But then, right at the bottom—there it was! I squealed, jumping up and hugging my friends as cheers erupted around the hall.

“Okay, students, calm down!” the principal called out. “I can see you’re excited, but remember, you’ll be attending a school even more prestigious than ours. You’ll need to maintain exemplary behavior, or else… let’s just say you won’t be accepted anywhere else.”

“Yes, ma’am,” we all chorused.

“One last thing: you’re expected to start next Monday. All fees, uniforms, and textbooks will be provided,” she added.

“Thank you, ma’am,” we replied, buzzing with excitement.

After the principal left, we slowly made our way out, talking excitedly.

“I can’t believe it! We all passed!” Vanessa shrieked.

“Yes, baby! Royal Gate High, here we come!” Julia shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

“We need to celebrate,” I said, grinning. “All those late-night study sessions paid off.”

“Definitely! Let’s meet at my house tonight,” Vanessa offered. “We’ll have some snacks, maybe a little something from the basement.”

“Count me in,” Damien said cheerfully.

“Same here!” Anthony agreed.

“I can’t wait to tell my mom and Brianna—they’ll be so relieved,” I said, feeling a wave of gratitude.

“They’ll be so proud,” Julia agreed.

“Alright, let’s wrap it up before the teachers bar us from class,” Anthony said, ever the responsible one.

“Vanessa, back to the most thrilling biology lesson of our lives!” I joked, and she rolled her eyes.

“Right. So thrilling,” she deadpanned, and we all laughed as we split up to return to class.

|Later that Day|

The final bell rang, and I grabbed my bag, heading outside to wait for my friends. They joined me quickly, and we walked together, chatting animatedly.

We parted ways at our usual junction, and I reached home a few minutes later. Walking into the living room, I found Mom picking beans. She looked up with a warm smile.

“Hey, Mom!” I greeted, dropping onto the couch.

“Hey, sweetheart. How was school?” she asked.

“School was good. I have some exciting news.”

“Oh?” She paused, looking intrigued.

“You remember that scholarship exam?”

“Yes. Did they announce the results?”

“Yep,” I said, drawing it out, savoring the moment.

“Marie! Did you pass?” she asked, eyes wide.

I grinned. “I did! And all my friends, too! We start on Monday!”

“Oh, honey! I’m so proud of you!” she exclaimed, giving me a big hug. “We have to celebrate!”

“We definitely will,” I replied, laughing. “I can’t wait to tell Brianna. She’ll be so relieved—no more worrying about my school fees.”

“Yes, she will,” Mom agreed, her expression softening. “And she deserves that peace. You both do.”

I wrapped my arm around her. “We’re better than we were before, Mom. Things are looking up.”

She smiled. “You’re right. How about we get some pizza to celebrate? My treat.”

“Actually, this one’s on me, Mom! I’ll cover it from my savings.”

“Alright, then,” she agreed, clearly touched. “And send my regards to Vanessa’s mom when you visit.”

“Will do,” I replied, heading upstairs to freshen up.