Screen of Secrets

Chapter 7

Fredric

It’s results day. I have no expectations. Last time, I hoped for a good outcome but still ended up in the bottom ten, so it’s better not to expect anything this time.

The results are posted on the board, but I plan to check them later when no one's around. I can't handle seeing my results in front of so many students. I wait at the front of my classroom for the corridor to clear. Some students pass by; a few are happy, while others look disappointed. Their disappointment is justified as here in this school, it's only the position that matters and they are also worried for their future since the bottom ten will face serious punishment it could move to bottom twenty or thirty maybe in the near future.

I’m ready to face whatever punishment comes my way. That’s just how my life has always been.

"Congrats, Fred," says a random guy from school. I don’t know him, and I doubt he knows me, but he must have seen my name on the results board. Typically, I’m at the bottom or have failed, though no one failed last time. Maybe this time they assume there won’t be any failures, or the criteria of failing was removed from the monthly test, like last test there were no failed students.
I didn’t listen to the principal’s speech on the last results day, so I don't know what to think and what to not.

But why did he congratulate me? Could I have avoided the bottom this time? No, he must be teasing me because I’m likely at the bottom again.

As the crowd of students disperses, I approach the board to see the results. I start from the bottom: bottom last, bottom second,..... and so on.

Hold on—my name isn’t there, in the bottom list. Where am I? There must be a mistake. I go through the list again, but my name is nowhere to be found.

Wow, thank goodness I’m not at the bottom! And my theory about the failure criteria being dismissed was correct. But where is my name? I need to check the entire list.

I scan the list from the bottom up. My name isn’t there until I reach number 50—the highest I’ve ever been. My best position was 51.
I start searching for my name below 50.

No sign of me up to number 20. Could I be in the top 20?
No, this can't be. I must be dreaming.

Ouch!
"What the hell, Evan? Why did you pinch me?" I asked.

"To make you realize you’re not dreaming. This is real—you’re in the top 20. No, I mean the top 10." Evan replied.

"Wait, what? You're joking, right?" I ask shockingly.

"Do I look like I’m joking?" Evan says.

"No, but—this can’t be—you know what I mean—this can’t be real—" I still can't believe it to be real.

"It is real, Fred." Nathan chimes in.

"Nathan?"

"Yeah, bud, congrats! You scored higher than me." Nathan says.

"What? What’s my position?" I ask.

"Sixth. You’re sixth, I’m eighth, and Evan, as usual, is second." Nathan says.

"Really?" I am still in shock.

"Yeah, Fred, believe it." Nathan says.

The bell rings.

"I think you both should go to your classes," I say.

"What about you?" Nathan asks.

"I’ll check the result myself. You both go." I say.

"Okay," they say in unison.

I hurry to the topper’s sheet, and it’s true—I’m at sixth.