My Twisted Heart

Chapter Six

"Didn't I tell you she was a genius," Violet declared proudly.

Alex, who'd been staring at the floor in silence, cleared his throat. "Yeah, you did... It's just hard to believe someone our age is already a 3rd Circle Mage."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Is it?

"Guys, it's not a big deal," Nicole sighed. "It's not like the entrance exam was that complicated... Besides, who's to say Violet only scored a few points less than me? For all we know, the top twelve students may have all had similar scores."

"While that may be true, ranking third in our grade is on an entirely different level than ranking twelfth," Simon countered. "Not to mention, you're a 3rd Circle Mage."

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows there's hardly any difference in power between a 2nd Circle Mage and a 3rd."

"Well, that's debatable," Simon responded.

While Nicole had made a valid point, I couldn't dismiss Simon's perspective either. Being in the top twelve was commendable, but being in the top three was a whole different level of achievement. It was extraordinary. However, I also couldn't imagine a significant gap in the entrance exam scores between the top students, at least from a mathematical standpoint. Just like Nicole suggested, for all we knew, the top students could have all gotten very close scores. As to how the rankings had been decided if that were the case, was another matter altogether.

"You really think you're a genius, huh?" Vanessa suddenly interjected. Something seemed to be bothering her.

"No, I don't," Nicole replied. "In fact, I've been trying to argue the exact opposite. Just because I did well on one simple exam, doesn't mean I'm a genius!"

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what again?"

"Acting as if you're smarter than all of us."

"No, I'm not!" Nicole exclaimed.

Vanessa scoffed. "Yes, you are! For the last couple of minutes, all you've done is belittle the significance of the entrance exam. You're making it sound like it was a piece of cake."

"Well, it's not my fault I found the exam easy."

"See... You're doing it again!"

"No, I'm not!"

Before Vanessa could respond, Violet cleared her throat and stepped in. "I think what Vanessa's trying to say is that you're being inconsiderate, Nicole. You have to consider that not everyone found the exam easy. Even though I know that's not how you meant it, saying the test was easy kind of undermines the hard work—and intelligence—of the rest of us."

Violet's explanation of the situation was downright on the mark. She'd laid out the root of the issue in a way that was neither offensive nor unsound.

Even though I wasn't offended by Nicole's words, it was easy to see how they might upset others. By claiming the entrance exam was easy, she was in a way unintentionally discrediting the efforts and skills of others who may have found it difficult.

"It seems I was being insensitive after all," Nicole said after a moment.

The brown-haired girl slowly stood up from her chair and bowed her head. "I apologize if I offended any of you. That was never my intention. I'm truly sorry..."

Vanessa let out a weary sigh. Despite Nicole's apology, she didn't look the least bit relieved. If anything, she appeared even more irritated. But why?

Man... I had no idea high school could be this stressful.