What's Your Score?

Prolouge: Killua

8th Grade Graduation: Late May

" Say cheese!"

Each of Killua's friends slung an arm around his shoulder. His parents stood behind him with approving smiles plastered on their faces. His siblings also took their places around him, all smiling in some way for the picture.

Killua's grin was the widest of them all. Dozens of medals clinked together and shone under the evening sun and he held a professional looking certificate. He looked between the paper in his hands and the camera perched in front of him. His lips only extended further and he held out the certificate further out for the camera to see.

"Cheese!"

——————

That day was one of Killua's favorite days ever. His parents had went all out with the rewards. They took him, his friends, and the entire family to his favorite restaurant. Hell, they even bought him all the chocolate robots he had managed to stuff in the shopping basket.

Currently though?

Currently Killua was munching on said chocolate robots while laying stomach down on his bed. His certificate was now framed and it sat in front of him. He kicked his feet happily as he reread its words for the millionth time that night.

"Certificate of Intelligence

Killua Zoldyck.

This certificate is awarded to Killua Zoldyck, the most hardworking student in Hunter Junior High, graduating with the highest grades amongst all his peers."

He squealed with excitement as his eyes glazed over the words. Sure he had just graduated from the eighth grade, and sure he was a fifteen year old boy, but he convinced himself he had the right to squeal over this. He had earned it after all.

"Killua? Killua are you awake??You better not be reading that certificate of yours! Go to sleep!" Kikyo, his mom called from down stairs.

He groaned, internally cursing his mom's sharp senses— and cursing himself for even stealing in the first place.

Nevertheless he yelled back. "Yes mother!"

The house was dead silent after that. He assumed that the rest of his siblings were already asleep.

Reluctantly, he picked himself off his bed, grabbing his certificate and holding it to his chest. His floorboards squeaked much to his annoyance as he tiptoed across his room and to his awards shelf. He took a couple seconds to admire all the medals, trophies, and certificates that sat on the shelf. Carefully, he added his most recent certificate to the collection, placing it front and center.

He stared at it some more, cherishing it. The white haired boy sighed dreamily, thoughts running through his head.

I'll definitely earn another one of these. High school. I'll do even better in high school. He thought confidently. Hell, I'll be valedictorian for sure.

He crawled back into bed, covering himself up to his nose with his silk sheets. Yup, I'll definitely be the best in the high school. And I'll graduate top of my class.. get into an Ivy League school.. get my dream job. Yeah.. yeah that's how it'll be!

It'll be a piece of cake, considering I'll be surrounded by a bunch of morons.. He laughed quietly at his own thought.

He shifted, getting into a comfier position on the mattress. His eyelids drooped slowly as these many ideas ran through his mind.