We always have an end of year assembly where the whole school turns out to celebrate the accomplishments of the students who are graduating. I've had to sit through this same assembly year after year watching spoilt little brats get 'best behaviour' awards and snotty little know-it-alls get 'Mathematician of the year'.
This year though, things would be different. This year I would be the star of the ceremony. I was the obvious choice for the majority of the awards. Best Mathematician, Speller, Historian, ect. were all me. I was top of every class.
All the best behaved students had had some mishap this year. Jane was late for school a lot. Really, that bike of hers is so easy to tamper with. Sam didn't hand in his homework, he insisted that a snake snatched it from him, and who would believe that story? I was the only student that didn't have a single black mark on the record this year.
In fact, for every award they were giving out I was the best candidate. Except for the 'Most improved student' and 'Best effort' awards of course, which were given out to the idiots who had no chance to win in any other category. I walked into that assembly brewing with confidence. I walked out furious.
Not one award. Not one. Not even a mention of my name. How I hate them all.
Harry was the one to catch up with me on the walk back to the orphanage. Of course he was. No one else cared; in fact, by looking at the smirking faces of the rest of our classmates they all think my plight is hilarious.
Will came to a stop with his fancy certificate in his hand and was about to yell something hurtful and no doubt ridiculously stupid at me when he slipped, though there was nothing to slip on, what a shame.
Harry caught up to me then. Harry didn't get any awards either of course. He wasn't anything special academically. In fact, he seemed to try to be mediocre. I tried to be the best. I was the best, and this is how my efforts were repaid!
"It's not fair." Harry said as he caught up to me, glaring across the street where Will was picking himself off the ground. 'What an understatement', my thoughts replied.
"They didn't judge on merit, but on popularity." He went on. That was obvious. How else would Anna have gotten the award for best Mathematician other than for being the teacher's niece?
"It's not fair and it's not right, but you don't need their awards" he said with strength in his voice, looking straight at me, his startling green eyes narrowed with righteous anger. "You don't need some stupid bit of paper saying well done. You came first in those tests. You beat the rest of us fair and square and we all know it. The teacher's all know it. If those stupid awards are just for show then who wants them anyway!" he said fiercely.
I knew that all of course, he didn't have to tell me. Still, it made me feel a little better having someone else put it into words. I made a promise to myself their and then. The next school I went to I would change tactics. I would become the most popular person. I would be charming and funny and well liked. I would surround myself with a group of lackeys I would call 'friends'. I would still come first in class but I would help the losers of the classes out to gain favour with the teachers. At the next school I go to, when I graduate, I will get all of those stupid, silly, pointless awards for sure.
Perhaps that is not what Harry had in mind with his little speech, but since when did I ever listen to him.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter even though it was a little short - please review!