This is bad. This is really bad.

I can't keep the frown off my face any longer as I slowly walk towards my history teacher's desk. My dark green eyes are trained on the paper that I clutch between my sweaty fingers. My heart is in my throat as I stop at the teacher's desk, and he gives me a nod. This is Mr. Spiderleg, a tall, slim teacher with dark hair, dark eyes, and a pair of reading glasses eternally on his face.

You might say I didn't study well for this test. It would be a huge embarrassment if I failed. I, Hollyleaf, had never failed any test, nor was I one to break rules at all.

Fifth period was over, to my great dismay, and Mr. Spiderleg had required about a minute ago that all tests be turned in at his desk. He accepted my paper without a word, and as I stepped away reluctantly, another person took my place.

With a quick glance, I realized that it was Snowbird, one of my acquaintances from the Shadow Group. You see, there are four main groups: the Thunder Group (which is where I am), the Shadow Group, the Wind Group, and the River Group. Each of these groups starts has four separate classes at the beginning of the day, but as the periods progress, all the groups mix around.

Angry at myself, I flung my pencil into my green backpack, then zip it shut, throwing it over my back and standing up beside my desk. I watched as Snowbird walked back to her desk, then a few more students behind her.

Mr. Spiderleg slammed his open palm onto his desk, and part of the class jumped. "Class dismissed."

I failed that test. "How was it?" I asked Snowbird, who had paused beside me. She rolled her mint green eyes, then shrugged, titling her left hand in a gesture that meant, Okay, not great.

"I barely studied," I muttered, lowering my gaze. Snowbird shot me a shocked look. "I only realized that there was a test at... let's see... 11 P.M. last night!" I threw my hands up in a way that conveyed my exclamation more meaningfully.

"Well, that's a first." I turned my head to see Honeyfern glowering at me from behind. I sighed inwardly, then glare back at her. Honeyfern tossed her back-length, light brown hair over her shoulder, her blue eyes dismayed.

Honeyfern, though she was in the Thunder Group with me, was certainly a girl I would never consider my friend. She was simply... well, there.

I shrugged. "Well, I don't think you have straight As, do you?" I retorted, and she snorted, turning away. I watched as she stalked over to Berrynose, a light-haired, bright-eyed student who ended up being the most annoying, stuck-up person in any class in all of the groups. I rolled my eyes. Honeyfern and Berrynose.

It was no secret that the two were in love. Honestly, I didn't understand how anyone, even Honeyfern, could fall for Berrynose.

"I've got to go to my locker. I'll see you later!" I told Snowbird, then turned away from the silver-haired girl. Well, her hair was mostly darker, but she had dyed it silver a few years ago.

Stupid test. I start down the hallway, my eyes scanning the rows of lockers for mine. It's hard to tell, because the lockers are in large groups, and they all look the same on the outside, except for the number. Soon enough, I found locker 920, and stopped in front of it, throwing my backpack down.

I spun the dial briskly, feeling my stomach rumble at the thought of the lunch that I was going to eat in a few minutes. I yanked at the lock, but it wouldn't budge. I kicked my locker, feeling a strange pleasure run through me as my black shoe made contact with the hard metal. Stupid locker.

I entered the numbers again, and, fortunately, my lock opened. I pulled out my math textbook, and shoved it into my backpack, and took the science notebook from my backpack and placed it into my locker.

Stupid test, I thought again, then shut my locker, closing the lock as well. I started down the hall, a five-dollar bill in my hand. Suddenly, I felt my chest quake, and I fall against one of the lockers.

Uh-oh. I knew what this meant. This familiar sensation meant that tears were about to fall down my pale cheeks.

I closed my eyes for a long moment, choking back the sobs that threatened to spill out of my throat. I had failed that test, and I knew it. What an embarrassment. I drop my head to my shoes. I was just dreading the day we would get these tests back.

Slowly, I stood up again, and strode down the hall.

My long, black braid reached down to my thighs, and I pushed it back, behind my shoulder. I knew that my green eyes were clouded with dismay, but I made no effort to conceal it as I pushed against the doors of the cafeteria.

I walked briskly into the line, which was surprisingly short.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" The polite voice belonged to a light golden-haired, minty-eyed woman, who smiled as I stopped beside her. This was Sandstorm, one of the staff members' wife.

I placed the five-dollar bill in her hand, and she placed it into a drawer somewhere. "I'd like ravioli, please." This was our main meal, the one that most students at the Star Warriors High School, or SWHS for short, purchased.

Sandstorm pushed a flexible plastic container into my hands, and I accepted it with a grateful nod, before carrying on.

With a bottle of cold water, I headed out of the cafeteria and into the open, feeling the breeze whip against my face. I set my food down at the table where I usually sat, and the people I sat with grinned at me.

Lionblaze, my brother, ran a hand through his blonde hair and winked at the silver-haired boy next to him. And Jayfeather, the very silver-haired boy in this scenario, my other brother, adjusted his large glasses and did not reply.

"So." Poppyfrost pushed her shoulder-length, brown-black hair backwards, then turned to me as I sat down beside Lionblaze.

"How was the test?" Jayfeather finished for her.

I frowned, and my feet scuffled at the ground under my shoes. Suddenly, I felt very small, under the gazes of all my friends. Honeyfern simply shrugged, turning away. I glared. She's taken it, too.

"Uh... well..." I began, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I didn't really study for long. So it was hard for me."

Dovewing, one of the younger girls in the Thunder Group, let out a short gasp. "You didn't?"

"No way." Lionblaze's voice was laced with dread.

They weren't really concerned for me or my grade. The thing was, there was a competition ever trimester to see which group, out of the four, could do the best academically. And, the Thunder Group was relying on me for a lot of it.

"Well, I guess we have to make the best out of this," Ivypool decided; she was Dovewing's fraternal twin, and she was also one of the youngest. I shot her a grateful glance, and she smiled at me.

"So..." I tried to steer the topic away from this. "What do you all have next?"

"You know what I have," Lionblaze muttered. "Same as you. PE. It's annoying how we have PE just after lunch."

I rolled my eyes. "Other than you?"

"I have English!" Ivypool volunteered, running a hand through her hair as she spoke. I smiled at her, realizing that she understood how uncomfortable I was, and that she was trying to push the topic along. And Lionblaze is no help, in this case. He couldn't take a hint if it waved hello to him.

"I have history; that's why I asked," Jayfeather stated.

"Good luck with that, then," I retorted, drily.

Jayfeather ignored me, and turned to Poppyfrost. "I have history last. But right now, I have science." I nodded, listening, and I shoved a piece of ravioli into my mouth. Maybe... just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad if everyone didn't rely on me, for once.