How Far We've Come

Prologue

"I can't believe it's already happening," I marveled, my fingers trembling. It was a breezy fall day, but the cool air did little to calm my nerves. My mind wandered towards various worries and fears, but the moment I began thinking about the test, panic grew inside me, filling my mind. The only thing that kept me calm was focusing on anything else.

My friend turned towards me, her dark braid whipping behind her. "I honestly just want to get this over with." I shrugged, conflicted about how I felt about the test. But, honestly, the main feeling was worry.

The calming hymn of the car's motion came to a stop as we pulled up at the building. Prestwall High School. The very school I would be going to if I passed the test. Prestwall High was a Magnet School, a school for only the best of the best. As the number one high school in Maryland, it was a very competitive process. From filling out applications, to asking for teacher recommendations, to studying as hard as I could for this test, the last few weeks had been busy. Though the entrance exam only counted for 20% of the actual application process, I couldn't help feeling like it was all that mattered.

I had dreamed of going to this school since I was eight years old. I twisted the pencil in my hand between my fingers, my eyes landing upon the tiny engraved letters painted with gold. "Prestwall High School" stood out among the black paint that covered the pencil. I had received this pencil during an assembly in fifth grade and had kept it for all these years. Now, at the age of 13, I was finally ready.

The school was not much larger than my middle school, but that did not make it any less breathtaking. Orange-red bricks build up the first building that had a concrete path leading to the second building. If I passed this test, I would be the one walking on that path.

I slowly walked into the building, my legs feeling like Jell-O. Inside the crowded hallway, I spotted multiple posters covering the walls. I walked toward them, scanning for my name. After a few moments of searching, I found "Anasika Grandle" among multiple other last names that started with G. The room number was room 12.

I had no map and no way of knowing where room 12 was in this winding, foreign school. I scanned the room and my eyes landed on a tall girl with dirty blond hair. I walked toward her and quietly asked, "Do you know where room 12 is?"

The girl smiled kindly. "I believe it's near room 61." My jaw dropped. This school was going to be much harder to navigate than I thought. The girl noticed my expression and laughed. "The numbering of this school is confusing, but not that confusing," she assured. "It's just that the rooms start and end in the same hallway and there are 61 rooms. So, room 61 happens to be close to room 12." I nodded, briefly being able to grasp what she said. "I'm Mandy, by the way." I smiled, introducing myself and following her down the twisting corridors. At last, we reached the hallway where room 12 stood right beside me. Thanking Mandy, I took a deep breath and walked into the room.

It wasn't much different from any other standardized tests I had taken, except for the tables. The room was a science lab with wooden tables and black table tops. The chairs were not attached to the tables like they had been in my middle school and in the countless high school movies I had watched, but they were the same tan color as usual. Tall dividers in various colors surrounded each seat to prevent cheating. I walked towards the set-up, trying to find my seat.

"What is your name?" a man asked, who I presumed to be the test moderator. He seemed to be in his forties with a dark beard and a mat of hair covering his face and head. "I'm Mr. Rickman." I nodded and told him, "Anasika Grandle." He pointed to a seat near the front of the classroom, surrounded by a red and yellow divider. "That's where you sit," he informed. Murmuring a thank you, I walked over to the seat.