THE WEIGHT OF SECOND PLACE
641 Words
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By the time Sophia reached the school gates, her anger had worn her out. It was exhausting, carrying so much fury in such a small body. Lily gave her a final hug before leaving, whispering, “Don’t stew on it too much, Soph. Second place doesn’t change how brilliant you are.”
But it did. At least in Sophia’s mind.
The walk home felt like miles instead of minutes. Each step dragged, her backpack digging into her shoulders as if punishing her for not being fast enough with that last answer. Sydney. I said Sydney. Who even thinks of Canberra? She groaned aloud, startling a dog behind a neighbor’s fence.
By the time she reached her street, she forced her expression into something neutral, practicing smiles in the reflection of a passing car window. Okay, Sophia. Just say “I tried my best” and don’t make it a big deal. They’ll understand.
But the moment she opened the door, her parents were there.
Her mother practically bounced in place, her smile wide and expectant. “Sophia! Did you win again? Show us the medal!”
Her father leaned over from the couch, hands rubbing together. “Our champion, huh? Come on, where’s the prize?”
Sophia froze in the doorway, her practiced smile collapsing like wet paper. Her throat tightened. She twisted her backpack strap between her fingers.
“No, Daddy,” she mumbled. Her voice came out so small she barely recognized it. “Max won. I… I came second.”
The room deflated in an instant. Her parents’ smiles faltered, their shoulders sagging just slightly. They weren’t angry — that almost would’ve been easier to deal with. No, it was disappointment. Soft, quiet, heavy.
Her father sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as if searching for the right words. “Well… second is still good, sweetheart. Really good.”
Her mother managed a gentle smile as she pulled Sophia into a hug. “Don’t worry. Next time, you’ll get first again. You always bounce back.”
Sophia let herself be squeezed between them, but her chest ached. Their voices were kind, but their eyes weren’t shining the way they usually did. The way they did when she won.
She forced a shaky laugh. “Yeah… next time.”
Later, upstairs in her room, she flopped onto her bed, arms spread wide, staring at the ceiling. Her textbooks sat neatly stacked on her desk across the room, their spines practically glaring at her.
Second place. Again. Do you hear that, textbooks? I studied until my eyes crossed, and it still wasn’t enough. And Max didn’t even look stressed. He probably studied for, like, five minutes. Or maybe he has a secret brain chip. Yeah, that’s it. Max Carter: secretly a robot programmed to annoy me forever.
She rolled over, burying her face into her pillow. Her parents’ words replayed in her head. “Next time.” But what if “next time” wasn’t hers either? What if Max kept winning, and she just stayed stuck in his shadow?
Her chest tightened again, but then her pillow muffled her frustrated yell. “Ughhhhh!”
A soft knock came at her door. “Soph? You okay in there?” It was her mom.
“I’m fine!” Sophia called back quickly, trying to sound chipper. “Just… studying!”
There was a pause, then footsteps retreating down the hall.
Sophia rolled onto her back again, sighing. Studying. Ha. Like I want to look at another page tonight.
She reached for her notebook anyway, flipping it open halfheartedly. On the margin of the first page, Lily had doodled a little cartoon of Sophia holding a “#1” trophy. The drawing made Sophia’s lips twitch into a reluctant smile.
Next time, she thought. Next time, I’ll beat him.
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- Writer
