It's hard to find complete silence.
Even within a class that's taking a test to determine everything for their future, complete silence isn't reached.
There's the scratching of pens and pencils, pages turning, students breathing loudly in an effort to calm down, and a few sneezes here and there, though no bless yous.
There's never really complete silence.
To each student, there's even more noise present. Their heart beating so fast and loud that it's surprising that no one else hears it. Other distractions too, like their palms being so sweaty that pencils keep on nearly slipping.
In most cases, there is always a few types of students – the ones that are perfectly calm and finish the test quickly and the ones who are fumbling with each question and working until the last second.
Today, there's no different types.
All of them are the same. Each are trying their hardest, trying to find the answer to the difficult questions. Each nervous and wondering if they are really ready to take the test.
It's too late to back out now.
Danny knows he isn't ready for the test. He knows and everyone else knows. His grades are awful and he can barely scrap by in school. He has no time for studying or anything like that. He's too busy saving people from harmful ghosts that they group him with.
One way, he's an awful student. The other way, he's an awful ghost.
There is no escape for him.
Danny gives up hours of hanging out with friends and spying on his parent's latest gadgets to study for the test. Jazz gives up her time to help Danny with flashcards and math.
He still isn't getting it.
The exam is to measure how much the student knows and their aptitude. Danny knows nothing. He never did and probably never will.
Everything the test is on was covered somewhat by the school over the year so the students wouldn't go in blind even if they never study for just the test.
Danny never even studies for school. Everything he should know, he doesn't know. Things that should be basic and learned months ago Danny was learning with Jazz. Now he might do better in school, but there is so little hope for the exams. Jazz tries to help, but she can't.
Danny has the aptitude. He knows that. His mother is right, the Fentons are a smart family. He was doing decent in school before all the ghost fighting started.
But now he's lucky to manage a C.
Everything is even harder now that Jazz got the perfect score. It's really amazing for her to get this and Danny is happy for her, but the pressure is now increased on Danny. He needs to meet up to his sister and that is impossible.
Everyone knows this. But they still expect something.
If he doesn't reach perfect, it isn't a big deal. But Danny will not just fall short of perfect. He'll fail so badly because he doesn't know anything and even as he tries and tries and tries, he still doesn't know anything.
It is impossible. That is the simple truth. It is impossible for Danny to do well in school. Maybe if school became his main concern, he could do well in school, but school will never be his main concern. There is too many other things that are much more important than school. Danny knows this. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz know this, but nobody else does. So he's expect what everyone else to do – get good grades in school.
Sometimes Danny wishes that school isn't the number one thing. That tests matter more than anything, that tests decide his whole future.
The idea that Danny's future will be based on tests is idiotic. Tests like these won't help him protect his town. That's his job, not taking some stupid job.
But somehow the idiotic idea is reality.
The stupid test will decide everything. Even though Danny isn't going anywhere with anything related with school, it's still going to decide his future.
Danny knows his future. He's going to keep on fighting ghosts and trying to keep secrets.
So Danny didn't feel too bad when he took the answers from Mr. Lancer's suitcase. An accident it was, but a wonderful one for Danny.
The test that was going to decide his future didn't seem as impossible anymore.
Danny is finally ready.
A/N: That was in present tense. I'm not used to it, but the original was written in present tense and I didn't want to change it so much. So I finished my science exam, which I failed, and while looking through stuff, I found the first half of this story. I wrote this so long ago. This was when I was going to taking an exam for high school back in October. The test was so important and now it seems so long ago. I'm graduating next week and in two months I'm going to be in the high school that I wanted to be in. The test is just a memory now. I spent a year preparing for it, but yet... So this thing was really emotional for me. It shows a lot about me. I can't believe I wrote this nine months ago. Things changed so much. Anyways, blah blah blah, end long author's note, so point out any mistakes/things that don't make sense/stuff. Or just tell me you liked the story. Also, I have no clue how TUE goes. I haven't watched it forever. So I just wrote this with no idea how Danny reacts to finding the answers. So it might be considered AU.