Faint ticking from the nearby wall clock echoed through the halls. It had been almost an hour after all the people cleared the academy building. School activity immediately became dormant ever since finals had been out of the way and many of the students celebrated after the excruciating tests either running around the streets like wild animals or burning their old assignments in the flame, praising the school year was finally over. The only thing they had left to worry about was coming back to the next school year cycle after a month of vacation.
But while the school year was technically over, there had been two students littering around the classrooms and hallways, one of the two apparently power walking to a certain classroom.
"Xion, don't you think this is a little unnecessary?" the girl's blonde friend asked.
"I need to know what I got for this term. I've been working my butt off trying to finish off with those perfect scores. It's bad enough I ended up with a terrible average last semester," Xion replied. Ever since she began high school at Destiny High School, her father had been pestering her to get the best grades possible, join several clubs, and participate in every other productive activity that would create the ideal college resume and fulfill the dream of every parent out there. Her father began with him encouraging her to be the best student in the academy, but as time passed after the first experience of a C in science class back in freshman year, he grew strict, cold, and also distant with Xion. Two years later, and Xion still finds herself struggling to make her father proud of her, or at least notice the efforts she had been putting in to make him forget about the dreadful report card he once saw.
"It shouldn't really matter; I mean you've been getting a higher average than me throughout this year not to mention you've been taking most of the advanced classes. Third year has been such a nightmare, I'm surprised I made it," the blonde laughed at his last comment, but Xion kept a straight face as she approached in front of Dr. Ansem's room while he kept grading the last few tests.
"You know Roxas, you didn't have to wait for me, I'm pretty sure Axel is feeling pretty bored at the ice cream parlor," Xion added. She hated having her friend to wait for her while she felt like an anxious train wreck, but Roxas felt he wanted to be the moral support just in case Xion wouldn't be satisfied with her results for the end of the year. If she were to suffer from a "bad grade", she at least wouldn't have to suffer through it alone.
Freshman year seemed like forever ago for the two students. There seemed to be no worries and virtually no stresses both from the social and academic branch. Roxas and Xion both met Axel while he was a senior and guided them through Destiny High from avoiding bullies to clowning around teachers, and getting away with last-minute assignments. The three had become the best of friends. But after the second semester and the dreadful C in science class Xion had received, her father believed it was due to being exposed to a "bad influence", and he mainly referred to the spikey redheaded graduate. After Axel graduated, he went to the community college nearby, Traverse College, and picked up a job serving the famous sea-salt ice cream at the local ice cream parlor. Though Axel was no longer spreading the so-called bad influence on both Xion and Roxas, her father made sure to limit her hang-out sessions with him as well as her friends in general. He may as well have limited Xion to having a social life at all and have her turn into the academic robot child he would've wanted.
"I might as well wait around," Roxas replied, "besides; Axel's probably sleeping on the job again today. I keep telling him to sleep on time rather than playing video games all night." After Roxas finished, Dr. Ansem had finalized all the test scores and looked at his door to see his two, or at least one, of his favorite students.
He let out a smile as he welcomed the two to come in, "I'm pretty sure I know why you're here Xion," and he glanced back at his computer for a short moment before looking back at the raven-haired girl. "Before you start freaking out, I want you to know you've been an exceptional student in my class. It's not every day a student can break the testing curve five times in a row in AP Biology."
"Yeah…thanks a lot," Roxas muttered. Xion simply elbowed his stomach and he remained silent for the rest of the period while she exchanged her conversation with her teacher.
"You've been…hard working for the most part, Roxas," the elderly teacher added. Though Roxas had not been his most favorite student and would often get irritated every time he caught him dozing off in class, Dr. Ansem actually meant what he said about his student's work ethic.
Meanwhile, Xion remained silent, anxious for what her teacher was going to say about her finalized results for the term. She had gotten mostly A's in many of her other classes but seemed to fall short when it came to AP Biology. The course spent most of its time learning about the structure and function of the heart, and that was something Xion couldn't quite grasp in class. She came out with a few 80's and 85's from a few of the tests, but she always thought it was never good enough.
Dr. Ansem glanced back towards Xion, "I've checked your results from the final and I don't know whether you'll be satisfied…" the last part already made Xion's stomach drop. It almost made her feel everything she had worked for was for nothing. Her teacher saw her reaction and quickly continued, "…but there are worse things in life than getting a B in an advanced class, Xion."
Xion wavered a bit, not knowing what else to say. What would her father think? She already felt like a disappointment for the past two years in high school. Ending the most important year with a not-so-perfect average was sure to curl her father's disappointment into hard bitterness. Dr. Ansem, on the other hand, saw promise in Xion, despite not being up as high as she would have wanted, and he knew exactly why.
"I know how you feel though…" he began, "why don't we sit for a moment?" Roxas looked at Xion wondering whether or not he should stay for their…possible counseling session. But Xion already felt she was taking up too much of his free time.
"I'll be fine on my own, Roxas. Why don't you check up on Axel this time? I'm pretty sure he's already woken up by now," she teased.
"Alright, we'll be at the ice cream parlor until seven tonight if you're not out too late," Roxas assured her. He waved his biology teacher and his friend a goodbye and began heading out the door, to the hallway, and eventually out of the building. Although Roxas knew it'd be better off if he stayed out of Xion's deeper personal life, he still couldn't help but feel compelled to stay back at the room to hear all the details. Suddenly, he realized his friend found a reason to let go of his grasp. At that point, Roxas began walking to the ice cream parlor to talk with Axel to see what he could do about Xion's inner turmoil.