Chapter 12: It's Official
938 Words
By the end of the week, Ava had become a problem.
Not because she'd done anything wrong.
Not because she'd started any fights.
Not because she'd challenged Ethan.
The problem was that people wouldn't stop comparing them.
It was everywhere.
In classrooms.
In hallways.
In the cafeteria.
Even students who had never spoken to either of them suddenly had opinions.
"Team Ava."
"Team Ethan."
"You're joking."
"No, I'm serious."
Ava overheard the conversation while grabbing books from her locker and nearly dropped them.
Team Ava?
Was Kingsley Academy incapable of acting normal?
She shut her locker and continued down the hallway, only to hear her name again.
At this point, hearing her name in random conversations felt as common as hearing the school bell.
What bothered her wasn't the attention.
It was the pressure.
Every answer she gave in class now meant something.
Every mistake meant something.
Every grade meant something.
People weren't looking at Ava anymore.
They were looking for proof.
Proof that she deserved the score.
Proof that she didn't.
Proof that she could beat Ethan.
Or proof that she couldn't.
It was exhausting.
---
Things weren't much better in class.
During Mathematics, the teacher handed back assignments and immediately made things worse.
"As expected," he said, adjusting his glasses. "The highest scores belong to Ethan and Ava."
The room reacted instantly.
Ava wanted to disappear.
The teacher continued.
"Ethan scored ninety-six."
A few students nodded.
Normal.
Expected.
Then—
"Ava scored ninety-seven."
The classroom erupted.
"By one point?"
"No way."
"Again?"
The teacher looked completely unaware of the chaos he'd caused.
Or maybe he enjoyed it.
Ava was beginning to suspect the second option.
The teacher smiled.
"You two are making my job very interesting."
Across the room, Noah dramatically slapped his desk.
Liam laughed.
Jace looked deeply disappointed in everyone.
Including himself.
---
By lunch, the entire school seemed to know.
Ava sat in the cafeteria, staring at her food while students continued discussing scores as if they were national news.
The seat opposite her suddenly scraped back.
Ava looked up.
It was Liam.
"Oh no."
Liam laughed.
"That hurts."
"It was supposed to."
Noah dropped into the seat beside him.
Jace followed.
Apparently they had adopted her against her will.
"You won by one point," Noah announced.
Ava looked at him.
"Congratulations on your ability to count."
Liam almost choked on his drink.
"No wonder Ethan's annoyed."
Ava frowned.
"He's annoyed?"
"Wouldn't you be?"
"No."
All three boys stared at her.
Ava shrugged.
"It's one assignment."
The three exchanged looks.
Then started laughing.
Ava was beginning to realize she and Kingsley students operated on completely different wavelengths.
---
That evening, she was relieved to finally go home.
The moment she stepped inside, reality replaced Kingsley.
The apartment was small.
Quiet.
Comfortably familiar.
For the first time all day, nobody cared about scores.
Nobody cared about Ethan.
Nobody cared about rankings.
Her father was sitting in the living room with a notebook balanced on his knee. His crutches rested against the couch.
He looked up immediately.
"How was school?"
Ava sighed dramatically.
His smile widened.
"That bad?"
"Worse."
She dropped onto the couch beside him and spent the next ten minutes explaining how her entire school had apparently lost its collective mind.
Her father listened patiently.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
Ava stared at him.
"You're supposed to be on my side."
"I am."
"Then stop laughing."
"I can't."
He shook his head.
"People are comparing you because you're doing well."
"It feels awful."
His expression softened.
"Pressure usually does."
Ava looked down at her hands.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then her father gently nudged her shoulder.
"You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think you're stronger than you realize."
Ava smiled slightly.
Her father always seemed to know exactly what to say.
Unfortunately, the peaceful moment didn't last.
The front door opened.
Her mother entered carrying shopping bags and immediately looked exhausted.
After greeting them, she headed straight for the kitchen.
Ava noticed the tension immediately.
It had become easier to recognize lately.
Bills.
Money.
Stress.
The things that never seemed to leave their house.
For a few minutes, everything remained quiet.
Then her parents started arguing.
Not loudly at first.
Just enough for Ava to hear.
But the voices gradually rose.
Money.
Work.
Responsibilities.
The same conversation they always seemed to have.
Ava looked down.
Her father looked away.
Neither said anything.
Eventually she stood and headed to her room.
Some days Kingsley felt exhausting.
Other days home felt exhausting.
Today somehow managed to be both.
---
The next morning, she arrived at school feeling tired.
Unfortunately, Kingsley wasn't interested in giving her a break.
During first period, another teacher made the comparison.
Then another.
Then another.
By lunchtime, students weren't even pretending anymore.
The rivalry had become official.
People openly debated who would finish first.
Some supported Ethan.
Others supported Ava.
Bets had apparently started.
Actual bets.
Ava couldn't believe it.
---
The final lesson of the day arrived.
Their classroom buzzed with excitement as students settled into their seats.
Everyone knew why.
The major assessment.
The one everyone had been talking about.
The teacher entered carrying a folder.
Immediately, the room quieted.
He placed the folder on his desk and looked around.
"I know you're all eager to hear this."
Nobody denied it.
The teacher smiled.
Then opened the folder.
"The assessment date has officially been scheduled."
The classroom became completely silent.
Ava felt her stomach tighten.
Across the room, Ethan sat straighter.
The teacher looked at the paper.
Then announced the date.
And just like that, everything became real.
- Writer
