I tremble as I see the time left on the clock. My hand scurries across the paper as I try to finish the last few questions. All of my life has led up to this one crucial moment—hours invested studying under tense rain and radiant sunlight — piling books after books on my desk, burning the midnight oil, over and over again. Cold sweat pours down the side of my neck as the clock’s hand nears its destination. The rushing sound of students beating up their papers with pencils engulfs an otherwise silent room. “5 minutes left!” the teacher exclaims.
My stomach lurches at the thought of failing this test. What would I tell my father? What would he think of me? Would he ever like me? The barren walls of the testing room suddenly seemed a lot closer. My end was approaching; I could feel it. “4 minutes left!” the teacher bellowed.
“5 questions left! This is it! This is the chance to prove myself!” I think to myself. I ignore everything around me to focus. I ignore the kid behind me trying to peek at my answers. I ignore the teacher as she peers down at us with the eye of a pterodactyl. I ignore the tapping sound of the rain hitting the window outside. I ignore the light as it swings over me like a hanging pendulum, swaying back and forth. I ignore everything. “3 minutes left!” the sound echoes around the room.
The next minute started and ended in that instant. “2 minutes left!”
All the knowledge I spent cramming into my skull began pouring out of my ears. Jamestown was founded in 1605. No 1609! Or was it 1607? How could I forget? “1 minute left!”
The final minute stretched out into a lifetime; in each second a war started and ended in my mind. I meticulously examine each question and answer, each comma and period, each remark and note…
“Oh, I got it!” I drop my pencil just in time.
“Time is up!” The teacher roams around the room like a tiger, picking up the tests as she goes. She approaches me, picks up my test, and turns around.
I giggle; cheating has never felt any better.
As she walks away, the book I was hiding in my pocket falls out. It hits the ground with a loud thump, a great thump. The teacher turns back around…
