Phoenix (Disconnected)

VIII-XI

Nhinx

It's time. The results will be out by any minute! I need to keep calm. I started to pace back and forth. This isn't helping!

"What if I don't pass?!" I frantically paced. Hunter's looking at me across the room. "We don't know tha–"

I cut him off. "What if I did? Others will be disappointed and get mad at me!" He strides across the room towards me. "I don't think the others will do that."

I can't hear him, with all the nervousness going on inside me. I kept on mumbling until a pair of hands landed on both of my shoulders, stopping me from pacing.

"Look, calm down for a second. Breathe in and out." He said with a gentle tone. I nodded and did what he said. "Now that's out of the way, can you listen now?" I nodded again.

"It's okay if it's not a higher grade or score you got, you did your best? I'm okay with it." I just stared at him.

A sound of a notified scroll made me jolt. Hunter put his hands down and gave me a smile. "Go on, check the board."

I walked towards the door and at the same time the door opened and Carter stepped in. "Oh, Hey Nhinx." I just nodded at him and left the room.

My mom used to tell me that she's okay with what I got as long as I passed it.

My classmates gathered around the board to see our scores. I pushed my way in front, expecting my name to be there.

I froze as I saw my name. "I passed?! I passed!" A familiar person stands next to me. "I knew you can do it!" Evelyn proudly stated.

I just stared at my name. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?" Evelyn asked. I slowly nodded. "I...need to go."

Evelyn gave me a confused look. I grabbed her hand on my shoulder and gently put it down and start to head towards the door.

"Where are you going? We have one more sub–"

As I stepped outside the room, I ran as hard as I can to reach my bedroom. I closed the door and locked it. I planted my face into the bedsheet.

I passed, but it can happen all over again!

I showed my mom my score. She looked at it and looked at me. "Eight out of Fifteen?! You could've done better!"

I tried to reasoned out to her that the passing score is eight. She yanked my paper. "I expect something higher than this. If you keep getting grades like this, the school will call me again!" She sat down and massaged her temple. "I knew this would happen."

I fight back my tears. "You don't know that." I could see her patience is getting thin. "I don't know what? You always fail at things! I don't even know why! Why aren't you like the others?!"

Mom groaned. "Why can't you just be a normal teenager."

I stared at her, no knowing what should I say.

I bury myself into the bed and cried as I reminisce about the past.