She didn't get in. There it was in black and white on the noticeboard:
Number 13 – Saiga Mai – Class B
Mai stood thoughtfully in front of this inerasable fact as the noise and energy surrounded her with students laughing, crying or chattering at the results. Well, how did I manage that? She thought to herself I never knew I was this smart…Huh. Her sister Mayumi (Oh she came 3rd? Clever sis) was standing rock still next to her, her mouth opening and closing in a comical manner as she gripped Mai's hand in shock (Mai was trying to carefully remove her hands, it was getting painful).
Oh dear, she's going to overreact again, I should have pushed for Dad to take us at separate tim-
'Maaaaaaiiiii! We are going to be separated forevvverrr!' Mai gave an audible sound effect as Mayumi effectively tackled her to the ground as big, fat tears dripped down her face. That's going to bruise later, which ancestor's personality did she inherit!? She wondered warily as she made the appropriate comforting sounds at her younger sister (Not that people would believe her).
'It's okay, I had a guess that this would happen. We live together anyway so of course you would see me!'
'But I was so looking forward to baking cakes and chatting and being in the greenhouse that Mum talked so much about and and and-' at this point words simply failed Mayumi at this atrocity and she descended into sobs once more. And that was the problem really. Mai loves her sister a lot, but the girl is simply loud sometimes.
The other students are making it worse of course. The fact that a child from one of those families not getting in was unheard of and the boy who managed to slip into special A at number 7 had a dazed look on his face as people congratulated him endlessly. There were whispers about her though and Mai was getting annoyed at how these whispers were obviously aggravating Mayumi further as her sobs gradually got louder and louder.
'Oi! Shut it! You're all too loud!' Mai smiled at the sound of this familiar voice and turned around to face the speaker. Keicchi Takishima was striding towards her purposefully as people parted (Like the Sea Mai mused) to let this year's number 1 through. He stopped in front of her, arms crossed, a small frown on his face.
'Saiga Mai' Keicchi's frown deepened.
'Takishima Kei' Mai smiled as she gratefully pressed Mayumi into a chair.
'You are stupid.'
There were a few gasps as the crowd heard this. So this is how rich people communicate, some thought.
'I actually thought I did pretty well considering.'
'After all that tutoring I gave you is this all you can manage?'
'Kei – chan, not everyone can be a super genius like you'
'You are dumb.'
'I beg to differ'
'Blockhead'
'I can be, yes'
'Idiot'
'Original'
Mai relaxed as she fell into this familiar routine with her childhood friend. Keicchi was always straight with her. Far too smart and far too loud mouthed for his own good, he was definitely the son of Aunt Hikari and Uncle Kei. The crowd soon got bored with the light insults the wavey haired girl and the pretty boy were trading and dispersed to homewards and elsewhere. Now the only ones left were this year's special A and Mai. By now Mayumi had calmed down considerably with the help of her cousin Sakura and the others were chatting comfortably, all except the new kid having been used to Keicchi and Mai's conversation style in public years ago.
Mai glanced at the noticeboard again, she didn't have the chance to see the exact rankings clearly:
Special A
1st Keiichi Takashima
2nd Sakura Yamamoto
3rd Mayumi Saiga
4th Momo Tsuji
5th Takumi Karino
6th Asuka Karino
7th Takumi Abe
The guys were a little shocked of course. They had gotten so used to always being together, so used to their almost inevitable status quo, that it was a shot to the system that Mai didn't get in. Sakura was especially upset, even more than he was about the few in the earlier crowd who were confused with his name ('It is a PERFECTLY respectable Japanese boys name!'). The Karinos weren't even bickering in their usual competitive manner and Momo simply congratulated Mai like the cool beauty that she is. Mai gratefully accepted Sakura's offer to take Mayumi home first and after a moment made her own excuses to 'be alone for a while'. The others were happy to do so of course and Mai walked away from the others, towards a certain greenhouse that she wasn't technically allowed in.
Mai removed a little glass pane, wiggled through in a manner she had learnt and made her way towards one of the many plush sofas dotted around. She had plenty of time before dinner to make her way back, for now she wanted to have some time to herself. She sat back and allowed her body to sink into the couch and closed her eyes in relief.
She was quite glad she didn't get in to be honest. She loved the guys as much as her family, but she simply wasn't as smart as them. She knew she has to work ten times harder than her sister to get similar grades…but Mai simply wasn't very competitive.
And I don't like the whole concept of this class Mai frowned and kept her eyes closed.
It was true. Her parents' generation didn't question it because it was obvious that they were heads and tails above the rest of the school, but there were many issues with segregating 1% of the students above all other students and allocating them obvious special benefits. It was a lot of fun and makes the school special, but it was definitely wrong on so many levels. Mai stretched her legs out languidly and yawned.
She had a chat with Takumi and Asuka's grandma about this once, apparently the tradition started because they had seven exceptional students once who were obviously not learning anything and were in fact distrupting classes. They had established the class system to stop this distraction since these were frankly rich kids who cannot be kicked out. Then it just stuck. Apparently they sometimes changed the numbers who can go into special A because there are different numbers of bored geniuses every year. Of course they never had more than 11. Mai was going to stay in Class B and she will be perfectly fine with it. She would have to go to classes anyway to keep her grades up and she would frankly prefer company.
That was another thing. Mai wanted to meet more people. She still remembered her parents' offhand comments sometimes: Her mother expressing a little regret over her thin phonebook during her teens, her father mentioning hurting his first love through his controlling ways. Little things that scared her. She could tell from a young age that her family and their closest friends were…special. Talented. Exceptional. Beautiful. She was personally above average in most regards, but nowhere near her sister's level. Mai didn't compare, she was far too much like her father for that rubbish, but she didn't want regrets like her parents…and it would be nice to learn what 'normal' is.
But this place is nice…I'm definitely sneaking in sometimes during break. Mai smiled.
Then she heard a cough.
It was an obvious cough. A cough to indicate the presence of a cougher. Mai blinked her eyes open and looked up. Who-?
'I was looking for you'
Mai stared into a pair of eyes so dark they could be black and slowly repositioned her body into a more presentable fashion. Now that she had a closer look, she realized it was the last kid in special A.
What was his name? Ah…Takumi Abe
He was a good looking boy, tall and slim with piercing eyes that no longer displayed their previous glazed look. Mai vaguely remembered him because he was one of the few scholarship students entering the school. It seemed to be a tradition for a scholarship student to be in Special A every year.
'How did you get in?' she asked, perhaps a bit accusingly. She had hoped to be lone a bit longer afterall.
'Legitimately' the boy twirled a little key in his hands 'apparently they give these out as soon as the results are revealed' Takumi had a pleasant voice, almost casual in its intonations.
'You were looking for me?' Mai wondered how her dad would react knowing she was talking to a boy he didn't know. Probably terribly. Her dad can be pretty evil sometimes.
'Yes, you ran away so quickly that I had to hunt for you.' Takumi caught the key in his hands and slipped it I his pocket. His tone of voice became more determined.
'I just want to say…I'm not giving this position to you.'
Mai was a little surprised. 'I…don't think you can? I'm not even in the 8th position…'
She watched as Takumi's face relaxed noticeably.
'Oh thank God you're unreasonable, I thought you would be worse than your sister and would murder me from the daggers she gave me!' Mai found her face twitching. No-one except those she love can insult her sister!
'She had a normal reaction! My sister is just protective!'
The boy grinned and held his hands up. 'Hey I'm sorry, it's just hearing all this talk about you and your crew had me worried that I would end up being buried under the sea from what I did, I just wanted to make sure that you guys will be okay with me, because I sure as hell am not leaving this class A thing.'. Mai shrugged.
'I don't really want it, besides I can sneak in here anytime. So it really doesn't matter'. As she said this she noticed Takumi staring at her intently. 'Wha-at?' she shifted away from him slightly.
He shook his head. 'No-o, nothing. It's just…you aren't as…flashy as I thought you would be? Sparkly?'
'What? Like vampires?' She deadpanned. She knew what he meant though.
'No…none of that crap. I don't know…you are more…down to earth? I like it.'
'Oh.' And because she didn't know what else to say, 'Thanks…'
'Well...that's all. Mai-san is it? See you around!' and with that Takumi jumped up and promptly left, leaving Mai staring at him as he sped away
Strange guy.