The Entrance Exam and The Girl

The singing of the birds echoes through my room, a light and warm trace of sunlight passes through my window, illuminating my room.

Today is a very important day for me. Today I will take the entrance exam for one of the top schools in the city.

Since my overall grades are way below average, it should be impossible for me to even consider entering this school, but I somehow got an invitation from the school director to attempt and pass the entrance exam. And although you need to get at least eighty out of one hundred to pass the exam, the director told me I only need fifty-one.

At first, I thought that was super weird and that maybe the letter was a scam, but after my aunt went to the school to confirm the dates of the entrance exam, I knew it was true.

Now the day has arrived, and I have been preparing myself like crazy for the past month in order to be able to get that fifty-one. Day and night studying without stopping. Hopefully those sleepless nights will bear fruit.

I woke up at seven in the morning. The entrance exam is at eight thirty at the school. I have one hour and a half to get there, more than enough.

I have planned my whole routine for this day, so it will be perfect.

First, I’m going to make breakfast. That would take me ten minutes, eating it would take another ten. Then I will brush my teeth and wash my face. I already took a shower last night, so it saves me time. Lastly, I would change my clothes and prepare my backpack, that would be around five minutes. After that, I would still have one hour and five minutes to get to school. I already went to the school before to check how much it would take me, so I know it is about thirty minutes to get there. I could use the last thirty-five minutes to study before the exam, with that I’m sure I'll pass. My plan is flawless.

My aunt Jane should have already left for work, and my little cousin is probably still sleeping. I'll try not to make too much noise, so I don't wake her up.

“Chris, what are you doing?” Suddenly, a sleepy voice coming from my door interrupts my thoughts.

“Eh? Emmi? Why are you up this early?” I ask her in confusion.

“Huh? It is eight already. What are YOU! doing? Sitting there in your bed staring at the wall? Didn’t you have your entrance exam today?”.

“HUH?!” I checked my phone, and it was true. It was eight already. How did I end up spending one hour sitting on my bed? Well, I don’t have time to think about it, I have to run.

I got up, rushed to my closet and put on the school uniform. I don’t have time to waste. I'll take some bread and eat it while running to the school.

“Mom said yesterday that she would leave something in the fridge for you if you happened to waste time again staring at your wall” Emmi said to me, still rubbing her eyes in sleep.

“She knows me too well…” I ran to the kitchen.

“Your phone…”.

I ran back to grab my phone. Then I went to the kitchen, and in the fridge was a sandwich on a plate next to a bottle of shake chocolate, a letter attached to it “Love you, Jane”.

I put the sandwich and the shake chocolate on my backpack and headed to the entrance door.

“I’m leaving!” I shouted while getting out.

“Good luck,” Emmi said, still sleepy.

While running I checked my phone, and it was eight twenty. I have ten minutes to make it, I have to run with all my despair.

After running without a break, I made it to the school. It is eight twenty-nine exactly, there is no one at the entrance door, everyone may be already in, I have to hurry.

As I started getting into the building, I saw a girl sitting on a bench with a notebook and a bread looking thing. The girl has short black hair with the tips dyed red that combine with her red glasses. She was wearing the school uniform; she must be taking the exam too. I wonder what she is doing there, sitting like nothing when it is this late. Maybe she doesn't know what time it is.

What should I do? Go? Or tell her? Geez I'll go and tell her.

I ran towards her and stood right in front still jogging so I wouldn't lose momentum.

“Hey, I don’t want to alarm you, but it is already eight thirty you know”.

“What about it?” she replied, looking at me perplexed.

“The test starts at eight thirty. You are going to take the entrance exam for this school, right? You have to hurry”.

“I’m indeed taking the entrance exam. However, I have understood that it is at ten thirty not at eight thirty”.

I grabbed my phone and checked the email that the school sent me with the date of the exam. And just as the girl said, the exam is at ten thirty. I ran for nothing.

“See?” the girl says to me.

“I’m such an idiot” I sat next to her and tried to catch my breath.

“Indeed, you are” The girl said looking at her notebook.

“You don't have to remind me that”.

“Just making sure you understand the facts”.

Now, I'm starting to get pissed off.

“Wait a second… Why are YOU here so early?” I point at her.

She is two hours early, why would she come two hours early at her own accord?

“Ah, mmm…” she hid her face with her notebook, I could see her cheeks getting red.

“Aha! You also mistook the time of the exam”.

“N-no! I didn’t. I just wanted to be early that’s all” She tried to hide it, but I could see her embarrassment by her reaction and red cheeks.

“Glad to know I'm not the only idiot here”.

She looks at me, hiding half of her face with her notebook, I can see her angriness, she is pouting.

"I'm not an idiot!".

"I know, I know. It's hard to accept, but you'll get used to it".

"Hmm!" She turns her head to the side and decides to ignore me.

I may have teased her too much… Well, she was the one that started it. I'm just going to eat my breakfast and start studying.

A good way to see this situation is that now I have two hours to study before the test.

I pull out the bag with the things Jane left me. As I open the bag and pull out the sandwich, I hear a growl mixed with the sound of the plastic bag.

I stop for a moment to try and hear that noise again.

After not hearing anything, I decided to dig in but just as I was about to bite my sandwich I heard it again, this time a little clearer.

"Grrww".

I turn to the side and see the red-haired girl pressing her hands to her stomach. With a red face she shrinks in embarrassment.

I assume she also ran here thinking she was going to be late and forgot to eat breakfast. If it wasn't for Jane, I would be in the same situation.

"Here" I break the sandwich in half and extend my hand to her.

She looks at me, then looks the other way.

"I don't want it" As she says that, her stomach growls again, her face turning red.

"My hand is getting tired" I shake the half sandwich.

She looks at it, hesitating, and after another help plea from her stomach she finally grabs the sandwich.

"t-thank you…" she speaks softly while munching.

Cute…

Her little mouth with pink lips looks so delicate. I get lost staring at her eating. She notices this and looks at me perplexed.

I turn my head to the front and pull a napkin and give it to her. I can see some crumbs on the side of her lips.

“You have crumbs on your face”.

“Thank you…” She grabs the napkins and cleans her face, a little bit embarrassed.

I get thirsty and pull out the chocolate shake, and just before I start drinking it, I can sense a pair of eyes staring at me, or better said, staring at my chocolate shake. Guess I'm not the only one thirsty.

I handed my shake to her.

“Are you sure?” she asks timidly.

“Yeah, just don't finish the whole bottle… Just kidding, like you would do that…”.

I look at her in surprise. She emptied the whole bottle in one go.

“You said it was fine!” She looks at me, embarrassed.

“Yeah, to take a sip, not finish the whole bottle!”.

“Sorry, okay! I was thirsty”.

“How can that small and cute mouth drink so much?”.

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?!”

“No, it’s a complaint”.

She turns her head to the side making an angry face, like I'm the one at fault, girls really are complicated. Anyway, what is done is done, I'll just going to use what time is left to study. I have a few problems that I still don't understand, but hopefully they won't be on the exam, I am still going to try them though.

"That's incorrect…" The girl points out the problem I was trying to solve.

"How do you know?".

"That is not the correct formula".

"That's why… I thought I was using the formula incorrectly, but I was actually using the wrong formula, thanks!".

She continued to help me with all the problems I couldn't understand. She guided me through all the possible problems of the exam.

Afterwards the time for the exam came and we parted ways. Since she had to take the test on the other side of the school, she decided to leave a few minutes earlier. After all, the school was huge, and it probably takes five to ten minutes to get to the other side.

This morning was a mess, but thanks to her, I'm more confident with myself. I feel like I can really pass this exam.