Casey and The Quints

01

"Class, I will now be handing back your last test. Most of you did exceptionally well. But this test should have been review and is, therefore, the easiest test you will face this year. For the others that scored lower than a 60%, you need to do a little more studying if you're hoping to pass this class because it only gets harder from here ."

Mrs. Hampton, my History teacher, is the literal embodiment of every History teacher ever. The grey-haired, wrinkled lady who seems to have personally lived through the French Revolution is a stickler for knowing dates. Dates, dates, and more dates. I'm a pretty okay student but in her class all these numbers just get muddled together. I mean, how does she expect us to remember when King George III second cousin's birthday is when half us forgot what we had for breakfast.

As she passes through the rows, making tisks here and shaking her head there, I chew my nails in anticipation. Soon a shadow looms over my desk and I gulp unconsciously. She hands me my paper, folded in half. This is not a good sign.

"Come see me after class Ms. Iverson." Mrs Hampton says as she proceeds down the line.

I flip over my test and almost gasp when I see the red-inked number on the other side.

52%

I hold back my tears as I keep staring at the red number on the top of the page. 52! Casey, really? How can you be so stupid? And what are mom and Paul going to say when they see this. I pretty sure Paul will have a heart attack and mom will castrate you.

I don't even hear the dismissal bell ring at the end of class. I just sit there lost in my thoughts until Mrs. Hampton taps me on the shoulder.

"Casey, what happened on this test?" She asks in a disappointed voice, that only makes me feel worse.

"I don't know," I reply, not making eye contact and instead focusing on my almost failing grade.

"You should find a tutor or come to me for some extra help if you're hoping to pass this class and graduate this spring. We are only 2 weeks into the school year and I'm afraid that as the workload gets heavier, your grades will begin to slip." Mrs. Hampton pauses for a second as she suddenly seems overcome by an idea. "You know what? Now that I remember Viana was always top of my class in her last year hear. I think she ended off with a 98 in my class, only getting one question wrong on the final. I'm sure that she wouldn't mind helping you. Will you ask her for help?"

I don't respond but continue to stare at my 52.

"Okay, Casey. See you on Monday."

I take that as my cue to leave. I scramble to grab all my things and head to my locker, ready to leave this hell hole. Anger pulses through my veins as I slam my locker and stalk out of the school. Why does Viana have to be just sooo smart? And why does Casey just have to be sooo stupid? Why did all the smarts have to be taken up the quints, leaving me with a brain full of nothing?

These are just some of the questions that I have been asking myself my whole life. My older siblings are quintuplets. Meaning they are 5 babies born at the same time. Taylor, Jensen, Viana, Axel and Liam.

Taylor, the firstborn, is what I like to call the "perfect" child. With platinum blonde hair and baby blue eyes, she is not only absolutely drop-dead gorgeous but Einstein smart. Currently set to attend Harvard, where she will get her law degree and then probably work at some hot-shot corporate law firm. Taylor is also the epitome of kindness and does not have a single mean bone in her body. Always top of her classes (or second to Viana) and willing to help out at home all the time, she was always my parents favourite, even if they denied having one.