Bailey Hollow: Painful Past Part 1

 Ren Morales… Ren… Morales… I hate him… I hate him so much… I wish he never existed… Things would be better if he never existed!

At Laurent High School, there is something — a group… It is a group of students called Laurent’s Top. It is a group of twenty students — five in each grade level — who manage to maintain the highest marks out of everyone. Now, Laurent High School is not too strict on academic skills, but the masses think that they are — probably because of the top-class teachers, the high-quality facilities, and the generous funding they receive. Their public image coupled with the fact that they’re a school makes them want to encourage their students to strive for their best, so they formulated Laurent’s Top to do that. Since the school isn’t too keen on these things and all courses are not equal, members of Laurent’s Top do not get any benefits other than a medal at the end of the school year… and a feeling of accomplishment. No, Laurent’s Top doesn’t grant any physical rewards, but it’s highly known and praised throughout the school.

I am currently in my second year out of the four years in high school. Last year, I managed to have the third-highest mark in my grade. This year…

“Da, ha, ha, amn! Bailey, that’s awesome!”

Early into the second semester, I was sitting in the cafeteria next to Valerie — she’s my friend… That’s good… She’s very reliable, hard-working, and energetic. She’s also easygoing and is a good candidate for getting into Laurent’s Top.

While eyeing the paper I gave her, she was laughing.

“Oh man, these marks are so high. You’re so awesome!”

I shook my head.

“Oh, thanks… But it isn’t really that special, so don’t-”

“Are you crazy!? Really, you don’t have to act so modestly all of the time. I mean, ninety-nines in all of your courses. That’s ridiculously high! And these are relatively tough courses — that’s impressive!”

“I-Is that so?.. T-Than, thank you…”

But still, I’m kind of disappointed — these marks are something to celebrate about, but… I don’t know, I’m just not satisfied.

It sounds unrelated, but since Valerie started attending this school at the start of the year, she’s been my only friend. That is because I hear my peers — they resent me… Why? Well, they don’t like how prideful I act. They find my apparent modesty annoying…

Valerie smiled widely.

“So, you mentioned that you were third in Laurent's Top last year, right? So, this year, you must be first, right? Like, at the tippy top of Laurent’s Top, right?”

I sighed in annoyance and cast my eyes downwards.

“No…”

“Oh? Who could possibly score higher than you? I mean, you’re the most hard-working, self-disciplined, and diligent person I know!”

Ren Morales… Ren… Morales… I hate him… I hate him so much… I wish he never existed… Things would be better if he never existed! He’s currently at the top… And he was at the top last year… And I can’t help but antagonize him. I think he’s the reason why I seem so mad at my significant achievements. Just knowing that I’m always behind him… Just knowing I’m just one step behind him… Just knowing that he’s better than me… It pisses me off! And he is the reason I’m so disliked. I get heated when I know that I’m behind him… I try to stop feeling these emotions because they lead to negative opinions of me, but I just can’t help it! No one can stand it!

I responded to Valerie through gritted teeth.

“Ren Morales… He can score higher than me… And in fact, he’s been scoring higher than me all this time!”

While looking down, I slammed my fist into the table.

“Dammit! Damn… It… Why must he attend this school!? Why must he exist!? Why!? Why must…”

I slammed my fist into the table again. I saw my peers turn their heads to me in my peripheral vision, but I did not care… I saw them whisper to each other, but I did not care…

“G-Gah! Argh, why must he be here!? What am I doing wrong!? I’m working just as hard as him, maybe even harder, so why!?”

I put my hand to my forehead.

I rationalized that Ren is the cause of my exclusion from everyone… Ren is that hurdle that I just can’t get over… And… he’s making fun of me…

Hands were suddenly put on my shoulders.

“Ah, s-sorry Bailey! Knowing how competitive you are, I probably made you distraught, right? S-Sorry…”

Bailey was leaning with her arms wrapped around me — she was hugging me… It felt nice. Having a friend hug me alleviated my irritation…

“O-Oh… No, it’s okay Valerie. And, um, I-I’m sorry for flipping out like that.”

“Oh, Bailey…”

She pulled away and pointed her finger at me. Her face looked serious and determined.

“Okay, Bailey… No more being angry, okay?”

She’s usually like this… She does not like seeing other people distressed, so she will try to cheer them up — I bet Valerie would make for an excellent mother in the future.

“R-Right… Sorry.”

But it’s not that easy…

“And hey, if it makes you feel any better, think about my marks instead. They’re lower than yours, but I think they can still be considered a formidable opponent!”

“R-Right… T-Thanks, Valerie...”

But I don’t think I can stop being frustrated…