The Battle for His Heart

sitting behind me, suddenly broke down

ched her paper, stuffing it into

r, crying out, "She poisoned the paper! My

r was stunned, and none of the studen

o crazy, I would g

.

y of the SAT exam, I

tune, only to find out that my uncle and aunt had died in a car accident. My

alling me ungrateful, and to

parents. But then she said, "Are you thinking that if my parents were alive

colded by m

admission ticket before leaving. Luckily, the test center

nd me started sobbing. Her cries grew louder, and just as I turned to ask her to quiet down, she sudde

wer sheet and tore it i

my answer sheet

ctions, and they instinctively shielded their

ent out to call for help, and anoth

calm, but I

llapsing on the floor and clutching the proctor's leg. "Ah, my stomac

, "Give me back my child, give me back my poor paper! What did my baby and pape

g, plag

us and said to my cousin, "Come with us. We need to talk abou

effrey Castro, my cousin, made me g

red talent, and I was

ew path for mys

yself normal, no one could bea

true nature at school, bu

met an acquaintan

ing into himself like a scolded child,

get caught for tearing up th

athetic? Failing to get into college and trying to take others

ternating between pale and flushed, "Ja

s buzzing about someone tearing up a paper. I didn't exp

y suppressed my smile, asking, "Th

pped my ticket in the toilet a

lright, Jeffrey Castro, according to the decision, your SAT scores have bee

nder. "Vania Williams, you'll need to fill out

it seemed I would have to

ere canceled, tears flowing instantly, "I w

ve to go through all this trouble, rewriting my answers and messing up my focus for tomorrow's exam, while you-rightfully-get your scores canceled. Life's just so unfair. I mean, let's be real-whether you get a score or not, it's just the difference be

he mention of best shot, the proctor's expression changed. In fr

.

om out of town to celebrate her birthday. Unable to cope with the blow, Jeffrey

nd finally followed the doctor's advice to erase the me

mory, they transplanted the "b

s responsible for her parents' de

nd turned a blind eye to her anti

o lose her results. Apologize to Jeffrey!" As so

cousin twisting the truth

the corner, oh, and there was my da

s, "She brought

the exam in the end? I thought you could understand my pain of underperfor

ance even possible? Whether you answered or n

. What did that say? It meant that throughout the

g at the bottom of the class. But her last score was so sh

frey hated it when p

ot mad when she heard

ady, never losing her composure. Not to mention the reputation she had as a top student a

even without a math score, I believe in your abilit

day her lies were exposed a

ed listening to audio lessons. Nothing would stop m

.

the bell, the SAT ex

unsurprised to see my mom walking arm in arm with Je

n't c

around my neck, pulling me back

e forever...

lose to my mouth, a smile playing at his lips as he

"The detergent. Use it once, love it for li

k for a moment, as if I'd int

scratched his head in fr

re planning to go to a bar

ead, "No, I'

k my things; I couldn't sta

. "It's so hard to get you to come out, I pr

hen you can dress up a

hen burst into laughter,

uickly walked out o

u out celebrating with your friends? But no, it took a guy to finally get you out, and now you

seen me w

t yourself? You brought Javier breakfast for three years,

hink Javier's interested in you. He's just

without a change in expression, "Do

I had nothing bet

story about Javier at the dinner table, making it sound

nger. She pointed at me and said sternly, "Is this what I sent you t

olded me indiscriminately, followed by Jeffrey's fake pleas for leniency. My mom would then hug Jeffrey and say how she w

eeble explanations wouldn't solve anyt

or, tears streaming down my face as I shouted, "Who would have

crying loudly, "Where are my real parents? Was I even born into this family

en, "Nonsense, your cous

g my mouth in horror, "So she's

p with interest, not expe

y child!" My mom

d! Why should I stay here? I know you've never liked me s

orously, "Don't worry, I won't leav

he hallway storage and charged into the living

was des

at on this chair, it can't stay. And t

dining table were

iginally my study. You and your daughter must find i

tion to the mayhem. The hammer spun furiousl

on't deserve to be your cousin. But let me give you a nickname instead-how about 'C

u wanted to combine my room with yours to make a walk-in close

y hammered away a

Eighty!

ollapsed i

completely d

th the neighbors' questions and nearly fainte

ust three inches from her f

ome renovations for you. Eighty per hammer, a total of seve

to pay?" Myra Wil

ew past Myra's ear, cracking the wall and revealing the r

y bad,"

k. I blew on my nails and said, "Now it's e

.

to find Javiery pacing at the bottom of

tcase and handed me the coffee, "

ed, "Why ar

t friend, Joslyn Sm

unteered to come get you. Let's go, I'll take you to a fried chicken place

ut thoughtfully arranged everything fo

saying, "I want two piece

guy and a girl were passionately singing a classic duet

aying a drinking game, laughing as one of

-thankfully, it was just White Claw.

n pushed both me and Javier onto the couch, snatching the microphone from the guy who h

ediately started chant

g completely lost. Hardly anyone

volume, gave me a mischievous smirk, and started singing

y, blurting out the next

er than before. My face burned instantly, a

eassuring glance and smoothly took ov

wered, occasionally flashing a small smile

.

r, I barely registered it-I just kept staring at Javier's profile as I downed m

ound myself lying o

alked in, holding a s