Reverse Chronicles

A Worthy Opponent

    "With a perfect score," I heard the teacher say after my name was called. It was normal for me, perfecting every single examination that headed my way. The exams are predictable and stagnant. It has been like this ever since I was young, with my name followed by the most prestigious of titles and the highest rank in my class. 

    "Another student who also got the perfect score," the teacher continued to announce our scores. Everything went my way until she arrived. "...is Alyssa," I felt irritated just by hearing that name. I breathed deeply and slowly turned to her at my right and smiled as if to congratulate her. She smiled back with passion as if she feels that I finally acknowledge her as my rival. I returned to face the board and my teacher, who was about to finish her announcement.

    Our session ended as the school bell rang. Its sound resonated throughout the hallway. I quickly got up out of my chair and went straight towards the door. "Mr. Gaunche," I heard my teacher call me, "I have some business with you." I wondered what it was. Teachers summon me but they do not call me after classes. Speculations began circulating inside my head. "Perhaps it is about my recent accomplishments? Is it a new contest that I could participate in? Or perhaps," the idea that I greatly feared shot to my head, "perhaps 'she' replaced my in academic domination?!"

    I approached our teacher and asked about her business with me. She was writing something on a piece of paper. Her hands were quick but her penmanship was well-defined. I peeked at what she was writing but she suddenly stopped when she noticed I was peeking at what she was writing. "As you might have noticed in these past examinations, Ms. Lancaste is in par with you in almost everything," she removed her glasses as she started to speak. She leaned back and faced me waving her glasses as she uttered every word.

    "Yes, I noticed her efforts, Ma'am." I replied as resolute as I could not breaking eye contact with her. I still do not know her motives so coming clean is the best path for me in this situation. "Is there anything about it?" I asked showing a smirk and making sure my grimace looked innocent as I could.

    "Well, here's the thing," she took out a lengthwise thin notebook which contained all of our grades. "You two are on par with every subject, you have the same grades in everything, literally. However, it provides a problem. I can only declare one of you as rank one, the other has to be in second place. So in order to break your tie, I looked at the your extracurricular performance. It seems you do not participate much in any extracurricular activity. Ms. Lancaste, meanwhile, well, she is the school's student president, she is an excellent student athlete, and is a member of a number of school organizations, which gives her quite an advantage."

    "What are you trying to say, Ma'am?" I began to panic. My sweat dripped from my forehead. I could feel my back drenched in my cold sweat. My hands began trembling with moisture.

    "I'm sorry to say this, Josh, but you are no longer in rank one," with those words, what I feared the most came into being. I was finally dethroned from my illustrious position. The high abode that I have kept for myself for years, now being stolen away by a random girl who just surfaced this year. I felt sad, but I burned with hate and despise.

    "Look," my teacher seeing my reaction to the revelation tried to calm me down, "things like this happen. It comes and it goes, that is life. We just have to accept things, this year may not be yours, but these next years may provide you with triumph." Her words tried to reassure me, however, they just left my head from my left ear. The thought of me losing was unfathomable and I hated it.

    "Okay, okay," seeing that I was still not calm, she tried again. "Listen, Josh. The world has its way for everyone else. If you work together with Alyssa, you two may reach somewhere a student has never reached before." She was clearly grasping at straws, throwing any and every good sounding maxim that she could think of to calm me down.

    "Yes, Ma'am," I gave off a fake smile trying as hard as I could to cover the hard feelings that raged and burned inside of me. "I will accept this loss and perhaps work with her in the future," with those words, I left the room swiftly and silently. I went out determined to find Alyssa and confront her. I did not know what to do. All I could think of is confronting her and talking to her. I asked students around the campus of her whereabouts and they all gave the same answer-- the library.

    I made my way to the library. I silently closed the door and looked at every inch and every nook and cranny for Alyssa. I went back and forth the textbook shelves as it was, I think the most reasonable place where she could be. But she is nowhere to be found. My search led me to the section of the oldest books. There were suspicious looking scrolls that contained a system of symbols, which lay open on the floor. Finally, from a distance I saw Alyssa H. Lancaste, entranced at a shabby book.

    I sneaked as I went closer attempting to uncover what she was reading. As I got closer and closer, I saw her inspecting a circle drawn on the book. It was a suspicious circle which looked like a thing for the movies. I could no longer keep my stealthy act. I slammed my hand at the circle, but as it landed I also felt her hand on it at the same time. Before I knew it, the circle lit in a blinding flash. Everything around me became nothing but white. I closed my eyes but could still see the bright light.

    Then suddenly, the blinding flash faded away and the darkness returned to my closed vision. I could feel that I was laying supine on the ground, with my head leaning against something soft and itchy. "What is this?" I opened my eyes and looked, it was hay. Yellow and itchy hay. I looked around and I found myself in a barn. "WHERE AM I?!" I exited the barn, but as I was walking, I noticed my chest being heavier than normal. I felt it and I could not believe what I felt. "I HAVE BREASTS?!" I quickly looked for a mirror or a pond to see myself. I saw a horse trough and looked at my reflection.

    "NO!" Being second place was shocking, but what is happening is even more bizarre. I am transported to another world and to make things worse I am Alyssa. Every inch of my body was hers, I could even feel something missing between my legs. I shouted as hard as I could. This is unfathomable!