A year ago… before the story.
I remember it was a school day at Freedom High. I was a sophomore back then.
"Yo, have you studied for the math test?" Zach asked, chewing on the nasty cafeteria broccoli like it was punishment.
"No bro, it'll be a piece of cake," I told him confidently.
It was our first year back after COVID. Quarantine was finally over, and even though school could be annoying, being around people again made life feel way better. Just walking through crowded hallways and hearing random chatter—it was refreshing in a weird way.
After we finished our food, we headed to AP Human Geography.
Ms. White was one of those teachers who didn't care much about what students did. She showed up, did her job, and called it a day. If you wanted to sleep or scroll on your phone, that was your choice. As long as you weren't loud or disrespectful, she left you alone.
"Hey everyone, please have your devices away. We will be having our world geography test today," she said, as casually as if she was announcing the lunch menu.
Welp. I was ready—kind of. I didn't even know the test was today until last night. I had about 50% of the world map memorized, and the other 50%? Well… that was written all over my arms and legs.
Lucky for me, I sat near the back row. Ms. White walked around a lot, but she barely looked down at students unless they were causing a scene. If I timed things right, the chances of getting caught were maybe 10%.
The test was completely fill-in-the-blank. Just blank boxes sitting on top of every country and capital—no word bank, no multiple choice, no mercy. I thought it was kinda ridiculous.
Still, I wasn't that nervous. I had my codes written in a way only I could understand. They weren't actual maps—more like nicknames and cues. Like, instead of writing "Ghana," I wrote "Grant." When I saw "Grant," I knew what I meant. Even if someone caught a glimpse, they wouldn't be able to make sense of it. No real proof. Just random names on my skin, situated in a set location.
As the test went on, everything went exactly how I planned.
As I left the class. I already saw a grade update on the school's website for my grades. I received a 100% on the test, which I was not surprised about. On the other hand, a lot of other students struggled to finish the test.
I wouldn't say I was proud of what I did, in fact, that was actually academic dishonesty. However, I genuinely thought the point of this test was useless. I could look up the world map online, and I likely wouldn't visit 90% of these countries in my lifetime. Therefore, I didn't think that all of this fuss was worth it.
The majority amount of knowledge that students are taught at school is pretty useless. For example, knowing Shakespeare's text can be cool, but sadly most people don't use that in modern day to day life. Dissecting a frog can also be interesting and fascinating, but then again, most people are not going into biology or medicine.
After I left the class, I had AP Computer Science Principles next. The class itself was actually pretty fun—when I could understand what was going on.
Unfortunately, most of us struggled to make sense of what Dr. Vishnu was saying. He had this thick accent that made simple instructions feel like code-breaking missions. Add that to the fact that most of us were half-asleep after lunch, and yeah... comprehension wasn't exactly our strong suit.
Today, we had a test. I knew it was coming, but I also knew I wasn't ready for it—not even close. Between zoning out during lectures and spending more time on my phone than reviewing loops and conditionals, I had basically set myself up to fail.
So I made a call. Not a smart one, but a desperate one.
As soon as I walked into class and took my seat, I rubbed my forehead and rested my head on the desk.
"Are you alright?" Dr. Vishnu asked, pausing his PowerPoint setup.
I looked up, squinting like the lights were stabbing my brain.
"I think I've got a really bad headache," I mumbled. "Like... pounding. I don't think I can focus on anything right now."
He paused, squinted back at me, then gave a small nod.
"You may go to the nurse," he said with a heavy sigh, already turning back to the board. "Test can be... made up later."
I grabbed my stuff slowly, trying not to look too excited. My classmates gave me these looks—some sympathetic, some knowing. A few probably wished they thought of it first.
As I walked down the hallway, heading toward the clinic, I felt a weird mix of guilt and relief. It's not like I was proud of this either. But at the same time, what was the point of cramming for a test I wasn't going to remember two days from now?
That's the thing—school teaches you how to pass, not how to live. And lately, it felt like I was just surviving each period, one excuse at a time.
The nurse's office had that weird sterile-meets-elementary-school smell. Like hand sanitizer mixed with those cheap paper towels that feel like sandpaper. The lights were dimmer than in the hallways, which was honestly a blessing.
Ms. Clara, the nurse, looked up from her computer when I walked in. She was wearing her usual scrubs and glasses, her short curls tucked behind her ears. She didn't look surprised to see me—probably figured another kid was trying to skip a test.
"What's going on, Julius?" she asked, her voice calm but already scanning me for signs I might be faking.
"I've got a headache," I said, pressing my palm to my forehead for emphasis. "Like... a really bad one. I couldn't even focus in class."
She nodded like she'd heard that a hundred times before—which, to be fair, she probably had.
"You want to go home, or do you think you just need to rest for a little while?" she asked, already pulling out a paper chart.
I shook my head. "Nah, I don't wanna go home. I just need like... thirty minutes. Just to chill for a bit."
She scribbled something down and pointed toward one of the vinyl beds near the window.
"Alright. Shoes off if you want, and no phones. I'll come check on you in half an hour."
I nodded, said thank you, and made my way to the bed. I lay down slowly, staring up at the ceiling tiles. There was this tiny brown stain above me that looked like someone had thrown coffee at it—or maybe worse. I didn't want to think about it.
I didn't actually fall asleep, just rested. Let my thoughts drift. Mostly I just stared and tried not to think about how behind I was in Computer Science. I didn't want to deal with that right now. Maybe later. Maybe not.
After what felt like fifteen minutes but was probably closer to thirty, Ms. Clara walked over and gently tapped the side of the bed.
"Feeling any better?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."
She gave a small smile and went back to her desk. I laced up my shoes, grabbed my bag, and headed out.