The Elite

Worried

I wake up in my cold room. My blanket on the floor besides me due to a restless nights sleep. I stand up shivering and walk to the foot of my bed and open the chest in front of it. I pull out my jacket and run downstairs to start my morning chores. I start washing the dishes from last nights meal when Greyson, my twin brother, walks into the kitchen.
"You ready for the Test today, Jack?" he asks me. Today is the Test to determine our ranking in the community. Everybody has to take it when they turn eighteen. Most of the time you have the same ranking as your family members but I have been worrying about it for weeks.
"Not really, are you?" I ask. Which is a stupid question considering the fact that Greyson is amazing at everything. He's some kind of prodigy you could say. He always ends up in the Wise classes, which are the classes for the really advanced students. While I am in the Norm classes for average students like my parents were.
"Yeah, I think so. Just do your best and you will do great." he says rustling my hair around.
"Thanks" I says smiling, but I'm still worried.

I run upstairs to get ready to go to school and as soon as I am done I hear Greyson holler up the stairs at me "Come on Jackalynn we are going to be late!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming." I reply, I know he is serious when he uses my real name.
   I run downstairs and out the door he is waiting for me on the porch "Let's go" he says  and we start running to the bus stop.
   As soon as we get there the bus pulls up and we get on.
   The ride to school and slow and all I do is think about the Test. I get lost in a daze of worry until I hear Greyson's voice "Come on let's go" he says and I'm snapped back to reality.
   When I get to first period my teacher announces, in her typical annoying voice, the we will be the first group to take the Test. She takes us to a section of the school I've never been in and an older lady with bright white hair talks to us about how the Test works and how the grading works. I tone it out because they have been telling us this for this entire school year. Then, she starts calling our names alphabetically. I am at the end of course because my last name is Walker.
   When she finally gets to my name I stand and she takes me into a basic class room but there is only one desk in the center of the room with a sheet of paper on it. She directs me to it and I sit.
   "You will have thirty minutes to complete the Test. The Test will determine your level and furthermore, your further career. It is an integral part in our society. Do you have any questions?" she says in an irritated voice, she looks like she has been doing this for years. She most likely has I think while looking at her bronze pin signifying she is a Dull. If you score low on the Test there are not many options and when they place you that is where you say unless there is a new job opening that no one claims after the ceremony and no other level wants to switch to. She'll probably be here until she retires. At the thought of that I start to panic, again.
   "No" I say in a hushed voice.
   Looking at her watch she says, "Your time begins... now"
    And I start to read the questions, quickly.
Question One: Take the derivative of 3x + 4.
Answer One: 3
Question Two: What is the velocity of...

I zone out answering the questions randomly. The questions get harder and harder.
Our society is based on brain power. Strength is intellect. My brother is strong and I am weak in comparison I'm so nervous I'm going to let my family down. I can almost here the announcer at the ceremony "Jackalynn Walker. Dull." I panic.
The test ends and I turn it in. I don't know where the time went, but I answered the last question as the lady said "time" and she snatched my paper from me.