Smart, But Not Smart Enough

Jane Black is nothing short of intelligent. She's diligent in every task she does. She's the type of girl who gets straight A's, and stresses over the slight decimal in her G.P.A. No one has ever beaten her, let it be athletics, let it be academics. She's the top everywhere. So how does the new guy, Ash Wilde, push her to number two? There's something, but Jane's yet to realise.

"What are your grades for English?"

"A-."

I hear mother sigh over the phone. There's something that pushes her to anger - imperfection. Mother's a beautiful lady, brown hair perfectly curled in place, blue eyes sharply searching for mistakes. But looks are misleading.

"Jane, how are you going to survive in this world? How will you get into a good university? Tell me, Jane, how?"

Tears start to well in my eyes, and my finger wavers above the decline button. I gulp my tears down, and clear my throat quietly.

"I'll get full scores this time mother."

Mother sighs once again, and ends the phone call. Whilst my mother exasperates about my grades, I cry silently in the arms of a stranger.