The Final Mark

Chapter 1

     ‘LOL’

    She sent the text with a grin on her face. “I never thought it was funny,” she giggled to herself. She set her phone aside and went back to her textbook. Her eyes flowed back and forth with the words on the page. Her legs slowly kicked up and down as she lay on her bed. A small grin on her face appeared. “History is so interesting,” she said to herself.

     “Mai,” called a voice from somewhere else in the house. “Do your schoolwork and then have a social life!”

     “Do your schoolwork first,” mocked Mai under her breathe. She giggled at herself.  She had her own little sense of humor. Her eyes flowed back to continue her reading. While she gazed upon her history book the door to her room had opened.  It wasn’t until Mai heard a thump on the bed that she diverted her eyes upwards to see who had entered.

     “Kon’nichiwa Ayaka,” said Mai to the girl who had just entered.

     “Kon’nichiwa my lil’ sister,” said Ayaka with a smile.  Mai watched Ayaka as she messed with her stuff from her back pack.

     “How was the tutoring,” asked Mai.

     “Oh,” said Ayaka, “it was fabulous.” Ayaka was in quiet a cheerful mood today, but Mai never bothered to ask why.  “I see you’re already getting ready for school Mai.”

     Mai looked back down to her book, then back to Ayaka. Mai smiled, “I guess so,” said Mai. She was very into her school work. This year was ever more so, for this year she took her entrance exam. To her it was a make it or break it type of test. Her sister did very well on it and she wanted to live up to her and keep the honour in the family. 

     “When does your school start again,” asked Ayaka.

     “Monday,” said Mai quietly.

     “Wow,” said Ayaka. “That’s in two days.”

     “Don’t remind me,” said Mai. Ayaka turned to Mai. All there was to see was a girl reading a book, but Ayaka saw so much more. Mai just read her book. It was an American book called, ‘The Fault in our Stars’, but she liked it a lot. It was by a man by the name of ‘John Green’. Mai loved his writing and he was the one who inspired Mai to start writing.

     Mai is a huge artistic girl. She will spend as much as the day as she can, reading and writing and drawing. It’s one of the few things she loves in the world, a way she can finally express herself.

     Only Mai’s sister likes her art. Her parents just complain and wish she’d spend more time on school work. This bothered Mai so much, but she doesn’t want to give up what she loves. Her mom is a doctor and her dad is a banker, so to them her ‘little childish actions’ are a nuisance.

     She sang. Singer was her release, her joy, and her love. To be a singer was the dream she had always had. One day she wanted to be upon a stage entertaining hundreds of people, but again her parents wouldn’t agree. A psychiatrist is what they said Mai ought to be. While she did like the career choice, it wasn’t want she wanted. Every day she sat in her room, singing along to her songs, praying.

     The weekend was going by fast, almost too fast for Mai. School was approaching once again, but it was her last year of high school. It was only one more year in which she had to endure. She admitted she liked school, but it could just become so much a burden. Do this and this and this. That was all school was: homework and studying. While she did learn some interesting things, it was boring. Where was the excitement? Mai couldn’t find it.

     She remembers back to when school was a carefree life. You showed up, had fun, and left. But that all changed around 1st year high school. Even with it being two years ago she remembers it like it happened this morning. The bullying, the depression, the anxiety; it all ruined her life. Her love for school vanished like the moon did every morning. She remembered the doctors, she remembered the medicine, she remembered the hell. A tear had formed in her eyes. At least in the one she had.

     In the beginning of high school Mai was attacked. That was the day the bullying turned from teasing to abuse. Her life had finally fallen and there was no way to climb back up. She remembered the boys messing with her. She remembered the boys’ actions and words. She remembered the stick going into her eye. She remembered the darkness. She remembered.

     When Mai came back from the nightmare of her past she saw her sister next her. Ayaka’s hands were around her. Her eyes gazed down to see her hands clenched to her bed. All she did was  just hug Ayaka back and cry.

     Sunday was here and school was just around the corner. In not even 24 hours she would be walking the halls of her school once more. Once more. She still could not get this year out of her head. No amount of preparation had prepared her. Hopelessness took over her body. Was this really it? On one hand, she had one more year, but yet on the other, it was the hardest of them all. Will all her hard work, work? A month ago she was positive, but now she is not so sure.

     As the day progressed she sat there on her bed contemplating school. She could do this. She told herself this over and over, yet, her mind could just not grasp that idea. Not yet, not now.  So, as the day ended, she laid down on her bed next to her little window. The rays of moonlight glistened in towards the room. This was what she last saw before she dozed off.

     The morning grew long with anticipation, for today a new beginning awaited: school. It was Mai’s first day back at school. Year 3 was finally here. The big year that can and will change her life forever. It will be towards the end of this year that she takes the college entrance examination. She was still not ready for this, but she told herself she could do it.

     It wasn’t too much longer that Mai was not in the car with her sister. Ayaka was really nice to her, but she knew Mai hated the bus, so she drives Mai to school.  Mai gazed her eyes out the window as the car drove through the streets of Aomori. There were people going this way and that. Men waited on the curb for the bus while the shop owners lit up their stores for the new day while the citizens scurried around the streets and sidewalks.

     “Ayaka,” said Mai quietly.

     “Yes Mai,” asked Ayaka as the approached a red light.

     “Do you think I can do it,” asked Mai.

     Ayaka simply smiled. “No,” said Ayaka with a pause, “I know you can do it.” Mai smiled, but she still shifted uneasily in her seat. The light turned green and the car made its way forward. Aomori High School slowly came into view. Mai swallowed hard. “it will be okay,” reassured Ayaka.

     The can soon pulled up along the school. The students were making their way back and forth around the grounds. Mai just stared out the window in fear. He thoughts were racing, her heart was beating faster as every second went by. She felt something rest upon her shoulder. Her head turned to see Ayaka’s hand there. Mai let out a small sign and opened the door.

     Mai watched the car pull away. She watched it until it finally disappeared into the blur of the city. Her body turned back around as she gazed upon the school. The school towered over her as if it was an adult glaring down a child. She shook this off and smiled. A positive tone flowed through her. “Let’s do this,” said Mai. Then one foot moved forward and then the other. Soon she was making her way to the front doors of the school.

     The doors opened and she looked inside. The school was so clear, so new, so fresh. In her mind it was a lot better than her old school. People moved about the school. She had no clue where to go.

     “Hey,” she said to a boy walking by. He just ignored her.

     “Hey,” she said as she tried to get the attention of another student, but to no prevail.

     “Listen, hey.”

    “Hey, listen.”

     “Hello.”

     “Do you kno…”

    “Listen…,” she said hopelessly. A small tear formed in her eye.

     “Hey,” said a voice from behind her. Mai turned around to see a girl stand there. “Need some help?”