The Ranking

Chapter 1

Student's Notice: Register now for the Scholastic Ranking Examination! It's the best way to increase your chance of getting into a top university. The next test is on the third Saturday in October at Woodfield High School.
***

Samantha

It's what is in your heart that counts. That's what they taught us at Woodfield. Three words engraved over the entrance to our school: Effort. Intention. Sincerity.

But that's not what they meant.

Everyone in this town has a reputation to maintain. We were their kids. The products of a model community. Designed and molded to perfection. Success counts. That's what they really meant. That is what really mattered.

Until the day it didn't. Not for me at least. Then the whole well-oiled machine that was my world went crashing to pieces.

It was late afternoon and I was still on school grounds, running my final lap for track-and-field practice. Then I heard the single shot echo across the campus. Somehow I knew right away it was him.

***

News Wire. Dateline - Orange County, California

A popular history teacher died yesterday at Woodfield High School. Calvin Parker, 28, was found in his classroom after school, killed instantly from a gunshot wound. Woodfield police issued a statement describing the death as an apparent suicide.

According to Woodfield Principal Thomas Meyers, Parker was beloved by students for his creative and inspirational teaching methods. "Calvin had that spark," said Meyers.

"He was the kind of teacher that can change your life," said Samantha Hoffman, a Woodfield senior.

"We considered him a friend," said classmate Aidan Romero.

The school is planning a memorial service for students, parents and faculty.

The tragedy has shocked a city known for its education, public safety and quality-of-life. Woodfield is consistently recognized as one of the best public high schools in the state. This month, students have been intensively focused on preparations for the influential Scholastic Ranking Examination test, also known as "The Ranking".

***

Dr. Meyers

Woodfield High School was my world and everyone in it was heart-broken. As Principal, it was my duty to help them find a way to heal. I stood at the podium in the assembly hall, looking out across the sea of students, parents and faculty that had gathered for the memorial.

"The first time I met Calvin Parker, he proposed the one of his many original ideas. He wanted permission to change the curriculum so he could teach a course on empathy. 'We fill their heads with facts and figures,' he explained. 'We show them how to follow instructions and get good scores. But we don't teach them the values that humans need to survive. Without empathy, our world is hollow. It's just a place of pretty, shiny things.'"

I could hear soft sobbing from the crowd and my own eyes welled up at the memory. "Calvin knew the most important lessons don't come from textbooks and standardized tests. They come from the human heart," I said. "Goodbye, Calvin. We'll always remember you."

After the event, a woman with a suit and badge visited my office. I'd seen her among the police who responded the day of the shooting. She introduced herself as Detective Josephine Hernandez.

"Thank you for attending," I said. "I wasn't sure the police would come since the investigation is finished."

"Who said it's finished?"