A.N. So, I'm gonna mix it up a bit and try a semi-different format for my story. Tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: Don't own SE.

Chapter 5: Test+Imagination=Breakdown?

Super Written Test today. Got some great sleep last night, no cramming in one last fact for me. Hoping to get a decent score, since I've never failed a test. I don't plan to start now!

This morning was pretty hectic, considering it's a Monday. Mondays are usually the days everyone comes back from a tiring weekend, even though they say they were 'catching up on sleep'.

Maybe tests just do this to people.

I check my watch and see we have a little over 5 minutes until class starts, so i see no need to rush in and compare notes.

When we walk in, Maka waves us over. "Hey! Took you guys long enough. I almost thought you were gonna be late. What's with the get-ups?" Instead of our usual attire, Yumi and I dressed in some sweat pants-capri things, loose t-shirts, and a hoodie.

Yumi explains. "Well, this is a pretty long test, so we don't want to wear uncomfortable clothes and have our focuses shift from the test to our clothes." Maka nods and drops the subject. "Didn't you score perfectly on this last year?"

Maka nods and blushes a bit. "Yeah. I scored a perfect 100! That's what I'm shooting for again this year!" Yumi and I smile. No doubt she's top of the class.

"Well, be careful, Sazai here might give you a run for your money!" Yumi winks at me and laughs. She knows how much learning is to me. Ox scoffs behind me and says that HE will most likely get the 100 and beat the rest of the class.

The next day

The results are posted. Thank goodness! I didn't sleep at all last night, I just kept worrying and wondering. A crowd of students is gathered around the board. Suddenly someone yells.

"WHAT? I'M IN THIRD PLACE? WITH A 97? ARGH! NO!" Was that Ox?... -.-" Talk about over dramatic. Somehow, Yumi wove her way to the bored and she let out a cheer.

"YES! I got a 78!" (A.N. Not trying to be mean to Ginger. I mean honestly, I believe she's super smart, but lately she's been calling herself an idiot, and she had like a C in Algebra, and then she had to transfer schools and she couldn't even transfer to mine. You get the picture.)

I smile. Hopefully she'll shoot higher next time, but I'm glad she isn't down-grading herself. Now if only I could get up front! Someone grabs my wrist and pulls me into the dispersing crowd. Maka. She must have been waiting to see her results, too. When we're close enough, I quickly scan the board and through the ranks. In the 50s? No. 60s? No. 70s? No. 80s...? No. Dammit, where is my name? Wait, no. Don't tell me. I'm even lower than the 50s! I pull my arm away and wrap both around myself. Shit, how could I have done so poorly? I don't even want to see my placement now. Did I not study enough? I could have sworn I answered all the questions, and I was so confident on all of them. Maybe I was... too confident? Arrogant, even? So arrogant, I only THOUGHT I was answering them correctly? But how? I mean...

"SAZAI!" My name, shouted directly into my right ear, throws me from my internal rant. Slowly, I turn to see Maka with a worried look on her face. "Hey, why'd you freeze up? We're not even at the board yet." She's right, of course. We still have a few steps to go but I already looked. Is Maka waiting to see the results up close? She takes hold of my wrist again and drags me forward. "See, now we're here. now, lets find my name and your's and... oh." I look up at the results and check the first on the list. Maka Albarn. Score: 99. Oh, no. No no no no no. I turn to look at Maka and she seems a bit crestfallen. Then she points up. "Look, there's your name, right beneath mine. You got a 98. Good job." She turns and smiles softly. Her disappointment is gone, replaced by a satisfied look. "Not as good as last year, but best in class will do."

We both walk away from the board. Maka swings her arms back and forth as she walks, mine are in my pockets, shoulders sagging with relief. I hear some one call my name and turn to see Maka's dad. She scowls, but motions for me to walk up to him. "I'll catch up with you, okay?" I ask. She nods and continues on her way.

Spirit looks really awkward, standing there with his hands behind his head. "Hey, look, Wren," I flinch a bit at the name. "Could you, maybe, buy, um, buy Maka's favorite book and give it to her with this card?" He shoves money and a card into my hands and looks at me pleadingly.

"Sure." He looks like an over-excited puppy and starts pouring out thank you. Smiling softly, I think of how lucky Maka is to have parents who love her. I just hope she realizes shat she has before it's too late.

Maka is already home in her apartment, so I leave the book in a bag with it's card on the doorknob. I hope she'll take a look at it, since there's a tag with my name on it, put there so she wouldn't throw it away.

On the way down to my apartment, I run into Soul. "Hey, Soul! I left a bag on your apartment door, could you give it to Maka for me?" He nods and flashes me his 'cool guy smile'.

"No problem. A cool guy like me will do things for a pretty girl like you." He winks then we both bust out laughing. When we finally regain our composure, we go our separate ways and he steps into his apartment. "My price: I get to call you Wren-Chan." Then he shuts the door, leaving me no time to respond.

A.N. The end of chapter 5. Thanks for reading folks! This update was long overdue. Bye!