Can I do it?

Exams, people say are difficult but for me, exams are simple because to me exams are proves of my abilities and strength, even though I find exams simple am still lacking behind because there is this classmate I always want to win against, he has been thorns in my flesh when it comes to taking the first position, he will always be the one to get the first position and I will always be the one to get the second position with just little mark differences, I always want to win against him by taking the first position from him but no matter how I try is just him

Whenever the results comes out and it turns out to be him again, I feel so sad, despite all my hard works to get the first position, it will still not work out for me

"Aaron did not have to work so hard to get his works done" I always thinks “is he that brilliant?” I will often ask myself which makes me work more harder but it is just all the same, it is as if I clean Aaron’s butt for him anytime I see my results, I don’t know why I feel like that but that is what my mind always tells me when I see him taking the first position every time

Is not as if am self – centered, the one who wants it all but my case with Aaron is difficult, since he is the school principal’s son I find it rather suspicious, am not suspecting anything, the truth is that Aaron is brilliant but I still think he is not as brilliant as myself, you think am weird right? I think so too myself but there is always this feeling that Aaron is not as brilliant as me anytime I see him but I keep working hard hoping that one day I will win against him

 “You don’t have to work so hard, life is not a competition” my mom will say to me whenever I get sad over it but I could not just get this feeling of me been more brilliant than Aaron out of my head, so I start watching Aaron to know how he studies, maybe I could adopt his method, then I will be able to beat him

I get to know that Aaron attends many extra lessons, I only go for English extra classes since English is not my first language but I discover that Aaron attends extra lessons for math, English, Music, almost all the subjects, I am surprised when I discover this “that’s why” I said to myself and give up on getting the first position but I still work hard if luck could one day shine on me but the feeling of me been more brilliant than Aaron never leaves me “his good” I will caution myself when I get such feeling

One day, as I was passing by the principal’s office, I heard something “when will you ever improve, when?” the principal yell at Aaron “I spend so much money on extra classes but still” the principal pause, I quickly hide to hear what it is all about “did you think your first position is your effort?” the principal continue “look at Demis, a girl” that’s my name Demis “she always top the class but you” the principal said and am surprised 

“Top the class! How?” I said to myself as I listen more “if you were not my son, how could I give such brilliant and clever girl’s position to you every time” the principal continues, hearing what the principal said I feel as if a knife just stab my heart “you are not even up to the third position talk of second position” the principal added “you better get your act together before your final year exam, I cannot help with that” the principal concludes and I feel like barging into the principal’s office to confront him that instance but can I really do that? I thought as I drag my feet back to the class

I look so sad, not feeling happy at all, seeing Aaron in the class makes me more sad and angry “that means my feelings were right, I have been cleaning Aaron butt all this while, all my hard works has always been giving to someone else, I cried after I got home that day “is your result out?” my mom ask me the moment she sees my swelling face “I always tell you, you are okay for me, you don’t need to compete with anyone” my mom said thinking I get sad because Aaron gets the first position again

I want to tell her that instant about what I heard but I could not bring myself to tell her, where will I say I hear it from? What evidence did I have? What if the principal denies it? So many questions bombard my mind as my tears fall staring at my mom consoling me “you don’t have to cry” my mom said and hug me but I cry more

That week in school I get angry whenever I see Aaron, especially when the teachers praise him of been so good, I want to shout out and tell the whole class about what I heard but I don’t know why I can’t just say it, I get more angry when Aaron also pretend to be the best while me that work so hard is been neglected, it is not as if the teacher don’t praise me too but they praise him more 

“No, this can’t continue” I said to myself, we still have two exams before our final year exam “I must stop this” I told myself “when did it even start? Junior high or senior high?” I ask myself because I could not imagine that Aaron has been taking my effort from junior high, since he has always been taking the first position since junior high and me second position “oh my God!” I exclaim in mind “that means ...” I could not just think further

Considering what the principal said that Aaron did not even worth the third or the second position “that means am not even the only one that has been robbed of my hard works” I thought as I get more angry with both the principal, the teachers and Aaron

I don’t believe the principal will do that on his own without the teachers knowing, that means this school is a cheat, I lament in my mind and I really want to expose everyone of them but how? I don’t know “I should tell mom” I thought but I keep getting scared, I can’t just bring myself to tell my mom “what if I get expelled? What if I don’t hear well? What if the principal denies it? There were so many what if in my head “but I can’t just let it go” I told myself but am so confused 

After I think so much about who to tell, my classmates that we were cheated together, my mom or should I confront the principal himself, I finally tell my mom because I think she is the best person to talk to “what!” my mom exclaimed “Demis, are you sure about what you said?” my mom ask me furiously

"Mom, am so sure, I heard it with my own ears” I replied confidently “that means” my mom could not finish what she wants to say as she went inside angrily, I feel a little relief telling my mom about it but am also afraid because I know my mom will not just let it go

“Demis” our room teacher called me the next day while we are in a lesson “you have to come with me to the principal’s office” our room teacher said, my heart skip a beat and I know that my mom already confront the principal, I quickly went to the principal’s office with my room teacher

“Demis, what did you tell your mom?” the principal ask me with an angry face, I have never seen the principal that angry, it makes me think if I heard wrongly the other day “I..I” I stammer because I just don’t have the confident to face the principal and that makes the principal get more angry “did you think am a joke?” the principal shout at me and I shiver

“Mr. Williams, you have no right to shout at the girl” a woman’s voice said to the principal and we turn to see my mom and three other women which are also parent's of my classmates, the principal seems shocked but he quickly compose himself “ma’am” the principal refer to the woman who just talked “am just try to confirm what she told her mom” the principal forced a smile

“Demis, you can go back to your class” the woman said to me and I glance at my mom like a scared cat, my mom signal to me not to worry so I quickly run to my class

“Did my mom actually cause trouble for me?” I thought as I sit in the class absent minded from what the teacher in the class is saying “what will happen to me now?” I thought again, I don’t even know that woman that speak to the principal to makes the principal shocked

I really don’t know what they talked about but before the close of school that day the news already spread about me accusing the principal of cheating for his son Aaron, my classmates look at me with ridicule “maybe she thinks she knows all” my classmate gossip among themselves and I feel so ashamed 

“Why should I be ashamed when I did nothing wrong” I try to console myself but the whispering about me here and there was too much, when I got home I want to scold my mom but I know she is just doing what a parent should do “you don’t have to feel sad, you need to prepare for a competition in a week” my mom release the bomb

"What!” I shout “you, Aaron and some best students in your class will have an open competition to know if what you say is true or not” my mom added “why?” I ask with squeezed face “the principal deny doing what you say so we resolve to that” my mom said and it seems as if cold water is poured on me 

Am not afraid of the open competition “but what will people said about me and what if Aaron actually beats me?” I thought with fear “what if my feeling of been more brilliant than Aaron is just all lies? What if am just over confident? What if I did not hear well the other day? What if I did not win the competition? What if I bring shame to my mom?” I could not sleep that night, I kept thinking of what will happen in the competition

The next day all the school already heard about the competition between me, Aaron and three other girls who are also good in our class, the students were just criticizing me here and there and it makes me scared the more but deep down I want to win against Aaron, I want to prove everyone wrong that I heard what the principal said that day rightly, I don’t want to put my mom to shame, so I start reading so hard, the next day our room teacher called me to her office 

“Demis, I believe you will win this competition” she said and I look shock because I think all the school is against me “this cheating for Aaron has been going on for a long time that I feel so guilty about it” the teacher said “the first time I learnt about it I confront the principal but he threatened me and since I have no other job opportunity, I just have to keep my anger in and keep looking” the teacher conclude and I stare at her “so our teacher is even against it” I thought as I leave her office, that even makes me more angry and determined to win against Aaron, I could see the fear in Aaron’s eyes day by day but I don’t care

A day to the open competition after the close of school, I wait to read and prepare for the competition the next day so I left the school late in the evening, I am really stressed and tired because of the readings and preparation for the competition coupled with the fear of me not winning, as I was going home that night my mom call me on phone

“Demis, you should be home by now, since tomorrow is the competition, you don’t have to read but rest” my mom said “okay, I will be home now” I replied as I disconnect the call, I smile because my mom always got my back, I remember asking her how she will feel if I don’t win against Aaron, she said “you will still be my girl” I smile as I remember those words

"Pim pim” I suddenly hear car honking to me, I already forget that am in middle the road, I get carried away thinking, before I could know anything I get hit by the car “bang” I could hear my body landing on the ground, I see someone running towards me but everything gets dark

“She is lucky, is just a minor head injury” I hear the doctor say as I open my eyes in the hospital “Demis” my mom shout when she sees my eyes opened “she is awake” my mom said to the doctor, the doctor check my eyes and check my body “Demis, can you see me?” my mom ask, I nod my head a little but I feel as if my head was hit my something, I touch my head which was bandaged 

“My head hurts” I cried “she will feel slight headache sometime but she have to rest a lot” the doctor said and left, my mom sighed and face me “am sorry mom” I muttered “it’s okay, thank goodness that the car driver dodge you, I don’t know what could have happened” my mom said with gloomy face “am sorry” I said again, then I remember the competition “what of the competition?” I quickly ask my mom “what competition?” my mom replied as if she don’t know what am saying “mom” I call her softly “you cannot go to the competition with your condition, you have to rest” my mom said and I feel angry at myself “why must I put myself and my mom to shame? How will people look at me in school from now?” I am really sad seeing myself on the hospital bed

The competition is set for 9am that day and I wake up 8:30am from my unconsciousness after the accident the same day “what should I do now?” I think looking at the time, my mom already call my room teacher to tell her I had an accident and I will not be able to come for the competition but I don’t feel good about me not going for the competition

"Should I just sneak out of the hospital to school when my mom is not there?” I ask myself “but my head hurts” I think again as feel bothered “will they still hold the competition since am not around? Will the principal use my accident as an excuse to get away?” I start thinking and I don’t know when I slept off 

When I woke up I realize it noon already “mom, what about the competition?” I ask my mom the moment I wake up “your teacher said it holds with the other three students and the results will be out next week” my mom replied causally but I get worried “what of if Aaron beats the three students? What of if they conclude that am a liar?” I start thinking again

The next week, the result came out while I am still in the hospital, Aaron did not even get near the expected marks talk of beating any of the three students, all the parents and students were surprised that the principal have been cheating all the while, the ministry of education take it up and decides to investigate all our previous exams, my mom and the other parents were proud of me even though I did not participant in the competition

Everyone concludes that since the other three girls could beat Aaron I will definitely beat him more, my classmates and teacher came to the hospital to greet me, seeing everyone looking at me proudly I feel fulfilled and proud of my hard works and bravery.