I slump into the seat, staring at my hands. "I can’t believe it... I failed."
Nisha and Rick sit across from me, exchanging glances. Nisha tries to offer me a small smile. "Azer, come on. It’s not the end of the world. There are makeup exams. You’ll bounce back."
"I don’t know what I’m gonna say to my family," I mumble. "Or Her." Rafa's name almost slipd out.
Rick raises an eyebrow. "Her? You mean...?"
I cut him off. "I can't... I don’t even know what I’d say to her. I can't let her know I'm such a mess."
The thought of her finding out, of knowing I failed, makes my chest tighten even more.
Nisha leans forward, her voice softer now.
"Look, Azer, I get that this sucks. But failing one exam doesn’t mean you’ve failed life. You can still fix this."
I shake my head.
"It’s not just the exam... it’s everything. I’ve been so distracted, and now it’s caught up with me. What if she thinks I’m a loser? What if I can’t make up for this?"
Rick tries to lighten the mood. "Bro, your crush is not gonna ditch you over a school result. Besides, you’ve got us. We’ll help you through it."
But their words don’t really sink in. I’m too lost in my own thoughts. All I can think about is how disappointed everyone will be. My parents... they were expecting so much. And Rafa? How could I even face her after this?
For the next hour or so, we sit in the store, Rick and Nisha trying to keep the conversation going, but I barely hear them. I nod along, pretend to laugh at their jokes, but the knot in my chest just keeps getting tighter. I stare out the window, watching people go by, wondering how I got here.
At one point, Nisha tries to cheer me up by cracking another joke. "Well, on the bright side, Azer, you can always move to a faraway island and start fresh. Maybe open a coconut stand."
Rick chuckles. "Yeah, and I’ll come visit you. We’ll build a little hut and make the best damn coconut smoothies."
Normally, I’d laugh at their ridiculousness, but today... I just can’t. I force a smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes.
"Thanks, guys. But right now, I just... I don’t know. I feel like I’ve let everyone down."
Nisha sighs and puts her hand on mine.
"We’ll figure this out, Azer. You’re not alone, okay?"
Suddenly, Rick’s phone buzzes on the table. He picks it up, glancing at the screen. His eyes widen, and he sits up straight.
"Dude, you’re not gonna believe this."
"What?" I ask, barely paying attention.
Rick’s mouth hangs open as he reads the message. "The school just sent out another notice. They’re saying there was a mistake in the calculations. A new result is out."
I blink. "What?"
Nisha’s eyes light up.
"Wait, are you serious? What kind of mistake?"
Rick shrugs, scrolling through the message.
"Something about the marks being entered wrong or whatever. They’re asking everyone to check the board again."
For a second, the weight in my chest lifts.
"You mean... there’s a chance I didn’t fail?"
"Yeah, man! Come on, let’s go!" Rick jumps up, already heading for the door.
I stand up, my heart racing again, but this time with something else—hope. I grab my bag and follow them out of the store, my head spinning with a thousand thoughts.
Could it really be true? Could there be a chance that I didn’t fail after all?
We hurry back to the school, my legs feeling shaky, my hands trembling. It feels like it takes forever to get there, and the closer we get, the more nervous I become.
When we reach the notice board, a small group of students has already gathered, whispering among themselves. Nisha pushes her way through, dragging Rick and me behind her. My heart is pounding so loudly in my ears, I can hardly hear anything else.
And then... I see it.
My name.
My heart stops. I rub my eyes, wondering if I’m seeing things.
There it is my name —Azer *****. Rank 14.
I didn’t fail.
I passed.
I passed!
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, feeling the tension in my chest finally release. Nisha is already squealing, jumping up and down beside me.
"Rank 14, Azer! You did it!"
Rick slaps me on the back, grinning. "Man, you’re not screwed after all."
For a moment, I just stand there, staring at the board. I can’t believe it. The relief that floods through me is almost overwhelming. I feel like laughing and crying at the same time. How did this happen? After all that panic... I actually passed.
I turn to Rick and Nisha, my voice shaking. "Guys... I don’t even know what to say."
Nisha beams at me. "How about 'thank you' for dragging your sorry butt through those last two weeks?"
Rick laughs. "Yeah, you owe us big time, man."
I laugh too, feeling like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. "Okay, okay. Thank you, both of you. I seriously couldn’t have done this without you."
Nisha grins. "Well, don’t get too comfortable. You still owe us for all the late-night study sessions."
Rick nods. "And for keeping you from completely losing your mind."
I smile, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. For the first time in weeks, I feel like I can finally breathe. Sure, there’s still a lot to figure out—what I’ll say to my parents, what I’ll tell Rafa—but for now, this is enough.
We stand there for a while longer, the three of us, soaking in the moment. And for the first time in a long time, I actually feel like everything might just be okay.
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