I took a deep breath, held it for a second and exhaled. My heart trudged in slow, heavy beats as my mind whirled in agony. For weeks of slaving away late nights and early mornings reading book after book and notes after notes of biology, history, algebra and all of my other major subjects, it all came down to this: the results. As I urged to calm my mind of trying to reiterate every question that came up on the exam that I cross referenced with my notes, which I had confirmed correct, I eased my feet to a stop, about ten feet away from the bulletin boards.

Everyone was checking their names, finding their ranks and their results. Some screamed in joy, maybe passing their marks just by a bit; while others wallowed in defeat, probably not even getting a satisfactory remark. But enough of that, I didn’t have time to express glee nor sympathy to these people. As far as I was concerned, they were only second-rate citizens in this institution of knowledge—not even worth calling competition.

I braved a step forward, squeezing my way into the front and looked up with my chin held high. Kaldan, Bacon, Santiago, Herisha, I read through the names that caught my eyes linked together with the ranks above ten—the same people placed in the same numbers as the semester before. As my sight scanned higher on the ranks, my throat tightened and my mouth began to dry. I tried to speak but no words came out. Was this truly the result of all those sleepless nights? Was this really the fruit of all my hard effort? A sudden tap on my shoulder broke my thoughts.

“Hey, Snow,” a deep female voice said. No doubt, this could only be Jayla: MVP of the volleyball team.

My usual charming greet with an angelic smile was rather hard for me to do right then, so I just stood still and let my eyes waver on the board.

Jayla searched the board and found her name beside forty-three. “Crawled by one, whatever. How about you Snow?” Before I could find an appropriate response, she said, “Still number two. Nothing less from our vice president. Beauty and brains.”

I would admit that I possess both beauty and brains as no one else in our school may possess godly talents as I do. But praise me for good reasons and not tragedy. My name glued onto that hideous secondary numeral is only but bad news much like what televisions broadcast about murders, deaths, corruption and natural disasters. There is nothing good or cheery about my name being paired with that number.

Jayla gazed over the other names on the board and said, “You’re really awesome you know that. Wish I was at least near ten.”

You wish. That will never happen with a brain such as yours. “Don’t worry Jayla. Next time, I’m sure you’re going to get closer.” I did my best to summon my angelic smile and conjure the feeling of reassurance.

“Thanks.” She smiled, completely buying my display of affection. “But you know who’s really good…”

I kept my mouth shut, keeping the malice tucked in my heart for the hideous words to follow.

“Andrei Lerington,” she continued with such admiration in her eyes. “Number one in our batch, captain of soccer and other weirdo clubs I can’t recall. What really matters is that he’s really, really hot.”

What was wrong with the girls here? They all think that if a guy dressed semi-acceptable and had six-pack-abs, he was automatically a great catch. “You sure like Andrei don’t you?”

“Crush, like, infatuation—who cares? I don’t think he’d go out with me even if he knew. I’m not in college unlike the ones he dates.”

Or he’s just gay. He probably dates everyone in the soccer team and sleeps with them—talk about STD. “It never hurts to try right? I mean if you try to be honest to him about it, I’m sure your feelings will come through.”

“Thanks. But I’m not sure I can. He is so...” Her eyes sided on top of my shoulder.

I looked back. In blue and white plaid pants, cerulean tie and in a dark navy blue coat—our school uniform—Andrei turned the hall and walked towards the crowd. His blue eyes gleamed against the light of the sun, changing to gray, as his dark hair bounced with each step he made. For some reason it reminded me of a model in a ramp show, displaying the latest spring collection. And clearly it also reminded the other girls too, though having more of a wow effect on them as their eyes somehow had dreamy stares and their lips curved into tense, teasing smiles. Just add tongues with drools hanging about and maybe we might have had a dog show.

Somehow a pathway opened up in the middle of the crowd to let Andrei glide his way into the front of the boards. He found his name on the top of the list and displayed a content smile. As people greeted and sent their congratulations with taps, handshakes and squeezes of his arms, I turned around and started my way back to class.

“Where you going?” asked Jayla.

I glanced back. “Class is about to start. I don’t want to be late.”

“Wait. I’ll come—“

“Hello Jayla,” Andrei appeared behind her.

She turned and gave Andrei a shining grin. “Hey Andrei. Grats on being one again.”

“Thanks. How did you do?” he asked with an inquiring look that most girls would probably fall for.

“Not bad. Moved by one.” Her gaze lounged around his face as her hands smoothed on her protruding neckline. She had her school uniform unbuttoned by two on the top.

“Jayla, I’ll go ahead,” I shot out.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Back to class,” Jayla answered hurriedly, like every moment was surefire success to be noticed. “Snow always goes back early. Professor Opan always gives her something to do.”

“I’ll walk with you. You know if my class isn’t with you, it’s usually just next door.”

I smiled nonchalantly and when I turned back to walk down to my class, I gave a split second frown. Why did this guy need to walk us back?

“How’s soccer?” Jayla asked Andrei as she found her way in the middle of me and him.

“Coach is killing us on every practice—it’s been hell,” he said with a mild frustration. “But when we win championship, it kinda makes it all okay, you know?”

“I do,” she said with swoon of her voice. “If volleyball didn’t lapse with your competitions I would have watched every time.”

“There’s a game this afternoon. If you two have nothing on your plates, why not come watch?” he said offhandedly, oblivious to her attacks of passion.

“I’ll watch the second half. I think I can end practice early,” Jayla said in such excitement. If we were in class and Andrei was the teacher and had asked a question, she would have raised her hand up high in the air or maybe even run up to his face and waved her arms across.

“How about you Snow?” he offered in a brightest possible way. That wouldn’t work on me.

“I apologize. I got stuff in the council I need to take care off,” I pleaded with my bright round eyes to let me off with my little excuse.

“Didn’t you just fix the problems with the schedules for the clubs and their assigned rooms? Besides that, other issues can be dealt the following week or next.”

I forgot that he was the student council president, and I was just the vice president—freaking number two. “Professor Candelas asked me to oversee the council’s budget with Thomas. I think he needs help.” Thomas did need help, but it just wouldn’t take us an eternity to do it, probably half an hour at most. But for the general public, it would take more—hope Andrei doesn’t figure that out.

He made an inquiring look. “You and Thomas can wrap that up twenty minutes tops. You can come right after. Match will probably start late.”

I was dealing with someone who levels with my intellect; of course he’d figure it out. Why was I underestimating him? And why was he so insistent? What did he have to gain over this—the fact that the most popular girl in school goes to one of his matches? “I’ll make no promises, but I will try.” Note to self: acquire another extra-curricular. I would have had another club if the drama club hadn’t shut down. They had closed it years before for lack of student participation and good audience feedback. It was not my fault that I was the only one born with talent to act in this school.

We stopped at the entrance to our classroom as Andrei turned around to us and said, “Great. See you both there.” He turned back around and left for his own class.

“Didn’t figure you two to be…close,” Jayla said with a tad hint of suspicion, maybe even jealousy.

I denied with a solemn shake of my head, though I would have liked to express a more rigid and thorough appeal. “We do have a lot of project in the council together. But we seldom talk outside.”

“So you two are like study buddies or something…that’s good.” she sounded half relief and half doubtful. “Snow, did you finish homework?”

“Uhu,” I answered her as I took my seat.

“Could I…”

I took my notebook out my bag and handed it to her. “Five minutes ‘til Professor comes.” I wonder how long she would last in this society with her dimwitted habits and laziness.

“You’re such a life saver.” She took the notebook and sat on her seat right behind me.