Joycelyn’s POV
Principal Green’s arrival interrupted my loaded exchange with Nathan.
He visibly relaxed, quickly steering me toward the row of HP desktops lining the computer lab. “It’s
almost nine. Let’s grab stations before the chaos starts.”
I smoothly dodged his attempted hand–hold. “Sure.”
As the clock hit nine, the lab buzzed with anxious energy. The first wave of seniors hunched over keyboards, cursor hovering nervously over the College Board login button. Those stuck in line behind them fidgeted impatiently, some literally bouncing on their toes.
Within minutes, the room filled with every possible human emotion.
“Dude, I got 1390!” whooped Derek from the baseball team, high–fiving his buddies. “Mom said if I broke 1350 she’d buy me that gaming PC! Let’s goooo!”
“Are you kidding me?” Madison groaned two stations down. “A 610 on Reading? I literally got 720 on every practice test. This is rigged!”
Amid the collective emotional meltdown, Raven kept refreshing her browser, the College Board
website stub buffering. Her perfectly French–tipped nails tapped an impatient rhythm against
the desk as she whispered curses that didn’t match her pristine image, only catching herself when the red light on the nearest camera reminded her she was being broadcast.
After what seemed like a dozen refreshes, her score report finally loaded.
Raven’s eyes widened as she scanned the numbers. “1520!” she gasped, hand flying to her mouth. “Oh my God!”
“Dad!” she squealed, jumping from her seat and nearly knocking over the ergonomic chair. “I got into Columbia! This is actually happening!”
She launched herself into Principal Green’s arms, his face flushed with pride as the cameras captured their picture–perfect moment.
The YouTube Live chat exploded with congratulatory messages:
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Chapter 10
“Absolute queen behavior! ? Boulder High represent!”
“That score is INSANE for a public school kid! Harvard better be calling!”
Raven dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, careful not to smudge her waterproof mascara while thanking the viewers. As she composed herself, her gaze locked directly onto me, her smile morphing into something predatory,
“What most of you don’t know,” she announced to the camera with practiced casualness, “is that I
wasn’t always the top student in our class.”
She gestured toward me with a theatrical flourish. “Joycelyn here used to be our valedictorian.”
She stretched each word for maximum effect. “She actually held the number one spot for three
straight semesters.”
The chat immediately erupted:
“Let’s see what the former #1 got! Her turn next!”
Raven’s eyes glittered with barely contained glee, though she forced her expression into exaggerated
concern.
“Unfortunately,” she said with the fake sympathy usually reserved for frenemies‘ breakup posts, “she got… sidetracked by a relationship with our quarterback.” She shot a meaningful glance at Nathan. “Her GPA absolutely crashed. She’ll be lucky to crack 1000 today.”
The livestream chat suddenly filled with unexpected commiseration:
“Been there, done that, got the community college transcript to prove it. Don’t throw away your future for some dude who’ll forget your name by sophomore year.”
“I made the same mistake in 2018. My ex is now married to someone else, and I’m still trying to finish my degree at night school while working retail. Don’t be me, girl.”
“Hey, it’s not the end of the world! My sister bombed her SATS, went to community college, transferred to UCLA after two years, and now makes six figures. Your path isn’t over!”
These weren’t exactly the reactions Raven had anticipated. Her perfectly contoured face twitched before she recalibrated her expression.
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Chapter 10
“Totally–everyone deserves a second chance,” she said with manufactured menus. So Joycelyn, let’s see your score. I’m curious what foundation you’ll be rebuilding from
Nathan had already checked his score–exactly 1000 points, hovering right at Front Range Community College’s minimum requirement
He glanced at my motionless hands, offering what could almost pass as genuine encouragement
“Don’t stress, babe. You always test better than me. If I managed to scrape 1000, you’ll hit at least 1050. We can both take classes at Front Range together! Get that off–campus apartment we talked
about…”
I see.
Their endgame wasn’t just demolishing my Harvard chances–it was ensuring I’d spend the next four years watching Nathan and Raven flaunt their relationship while I was trapped at the same mediocre school
At Raven’s subtle nod, every camera operator zoomed in on my face and computer screen, lenses focusing with almost predatory precision.
Every eye in the room–plus the 50,000+ viewers on the livestream–fixed on my College Board login
page.
“Joycelyn, we don’t have all day,” Raven snapped, tapping her Apple Watch. “There are thirty more people waiting to check their scores.”
I smiled pleasantly. “Right away.”
Then I reached for the mouse.
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