She's smiling again.
The smile spreads across her face like Wildfire.
It's that smile she always has on her face whenever she receives good news in school. The smug expression of being the best.
It's that particular smile she always has on, whenever our grades have been put up.
I know it's that smile because I've been seeing it for a long time now.
It's a smile I particularly hate to see on her.
I know it's that smile because of the extra small wrinkle line under her eyes. It's a full-blown, four-wrinkle smile.
With a normal smile, it's 3, and the last wrinkle is usually hidden, but today, it stands out.
I don't need her and her group of lackeys to stand by the notice board to know why they are all beaming, although they were.
I hold my breath and count my steps as I walk towards the notice board. With every step I take towards it, my heart sinks lower and lower
I already can tell from the smile on her face what to expect.
And I'm right, on our grade report that has been put up on the notice board. There's my name, under her name, a name I have come to hate, to cringe at, Andrea Hill.
Why? A question I ask myself whenever I see it, my name has never been above that name, always under, why?
I try to study at least six times harder every time, but why can't I beat her?
"Wow, Renee, I see you came out second, Again"
I hear her say beside me. Is it just me being paranoid, or is she actually mocking me? Was adding 'AGAIN' really necessary?
I turn and see that she has her hands outstretched for a handshake
"Congratulations" she's still wearing that smile. And I want to wipe that smile off her face.
I don't want to shake her hands and then be reminded pain and scars my parents leaves on me whenever they find out that I came out second AGAIN
I ignore her, there's no comfort in empty congratulations, only the sting of failure, so I turn to walk away.
I'm going home. Why delay meeting my parents and breaking the news to them.
At least she gets to smile, has great parents who love and don't hurt her because she's always coming out second, and also she's at the top of the class.
Guess that makes it three things I should be envious of her about, and I'm not even sure I want to keep trying to win this game.
IMAGE WAS GENERATED USING AI
