Emily was on the school bus, waiting impatiently for her stop. It was maybe the most important day of her life. She moved her fingers on her leg, as if playing piano. She imagined the notes to the song she was listening to, the way her fingers would have to move, and she did so. This was something Emily did all the time; sometimes she wouldn't even notice she was doing it.
Finally, the bus pulled onto her street. There were two stops before hers, but Emily didn't care. She hopped up at the first one and ran home. She made it faster than the bus, but that wasn't surprising. Emily was the fastest in the grade, and in the leader board of her school.
Emily ran to the mailbox to find nothing whatsoever. She started to sweat, not from running or the heat, but from anxiety. Emily raced to her house, and looked around for her mother. Once she had gone through the whole house, she texted her mom, asking where the mail was. Emily stood in the middle of the kitchen, phone in hand, waiting for her mom to reply. She imagined herself opening a letter saying that she had gotten into MILLION. She would be so excited, but wouldn't show it enough to make her look stupid. Finally, her phone vibrated. Her Mom said that they hadn't gotten any mail that day.
"Seriously?" Emily thought. "No mail at all?" She felt herself starting to shake, and before she could stop it, tears started running down her face. Emily thought that because she hadn't gotten a letter, she hadn't gotten in. She didn't know that you would always get a letter, even if you didn't get accepted.
The next day at school, everyone who had signed up was either smiling brightly or frowning miserably. There wasn't a lot of light.
When Emily saw her friend in the hallway, she came up to her.
"I didn't get in, Violet!" Violet hugged Emily, and softly said sorry.
"Um, Emily? I need to tell you something." She looked at Violet, wondering what it could be. "I, uh, I actually got accepted into, uh, MILLION." Emily's heart dropped to her feet, as did all of her hope.
"Oh, that's, well, great for you!" She did her best to act happy, but she was a piano prodigy, not an actress.
"I'm really sorry, Em." The bell rang, and they parted their ways to go to class.
YOU ARE READING
Million
General FictionEnough tension has already been in these kid's hearts waiting for the acceptance letters, but now the children start feeling the harm of being famous. Will they stand up strong, or will they crumble under the pressure of the public and themselves?
