"You were just jealous of Loretta, so you ruined it for her on purpose!"
"We wanted to use the pink pens. Why did you have to go and switch them?"
Those vicious words looped in my ears like a curse that never faded.
I pulled my gaze back to my own desk and poured every last drop of emotion into the tip of my pen.
The moment I set down the final period, the bell rang.
"Everyone stand! Pens down!"
The proctors began collecting answer sheets.
When one of them picked up the arts rep's sheet, covered top to bottom in neat pink script, the expression on his face was priceless.
After the exam, classmates gathered outside the testing center in clusters, buzzing with excitement.
"The people in my room were staring at me like I was from another planet!"
"Same! They were probably thinking, wow, kids from that school are so next-level!"
Loretta stood at the center of the crowd, beaming with pride.
"I told you it was my magic! We said we'd be one of a kind, and we are!"
Henry ruffled her hair, grinning like she'd hung the moon. "Our Loretta's the best."
I stood outside the circle, watching them in silence.
A few days later. The state grading center.