The year-end party was on Friday, and I had hoped to go with the devil. But instead, Oliver showed up to take me. The devil mentioned he might not make it, so I reluctantly agreed to go with Oliver. I tried to enjoy myself, especially since I hadn’t seen Oliver in a week, but the devil lingered in my thoughts. And with Martha incessantly asking about him, it became impossible to get him off my mind.
"And now, we’ll announce the top students in SS 2," the principal said, as if the outcome was a foregone conclusion. I always placed second, with Oliver perpetually in first. It had become routine, predictable even.
Oliver was called first, then me. No surprise. Mike came next, followed by Martha. They were always competing for the third and fourth spots. The names kept rolling until the prin
