From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea )

The honor roll had just been posted and the whole school was abuzz with the news that someone from the regular class had snagged top honors, leaving the high-achievers of the advanced placement class gobsmacked.

"Who's the top dog this time?" Lizzie asked curiosity piqued, "Still Philip?"

Philip was something of a legend around campus. With a last name that seemed almost redundant given his notoriety, everyone simply knew him as Philip. He was the benchmark of academic excellence, the perpetual valedictorian.

Tanya, with a smug smile playing on her lips, declared, "Do you even need to ask? It's our very own Annie, of course."

Lizzie's jaw dropped, her mind scrambling to process the news. She remembered when she used to share a desk with Anthea, back when she was the epitome of a slacker, always snoozing through classes.

"You said Annie A+?" Lizzie was flabbergasted.

"Yeah," Tanya affirmed.

"Holy smokes." Lizzie whirled around to face Anthea, "You've really knocked it out of the park."

Anthea shrugged modestly, "I guess I did alright."

They approached the crowded bulletin board, where a throng of students had already gathered. Philip had always been the name at the top, but this sudden shift to Anthea had everyone buzzing.

"Anthea's amazing!."

"I heard she used to be dead last in the advanced placement class. How'd she do that?"

"Do you think she might've…"

"Holy smokes. Annie, you really clinched the number one spot." Tanya's excitement was palpable as if she had won the honor herself.

At that, all eyes turned to Anthea.

"Wow, she's stunning."

"Doesn't she look kinda familiar?"

Amidst the attention, Anthea stood with a calm poise that set her apart from her more juvenile peers.

"Annie, to celebrate your victory, you're treating me and Lizzie to a night out," Tanya exclaimed.

Anthea nodded, "Sure thing." This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

"How about hitting up Yeager's Delicacies tonight?" Lizzie chimed in, "It's all the rage these days."

Tanya was quick to agree, "Yes. I've heard their food is to die for. They're about to open their fourth location on the east side of town. But today's their grand reopening after the holiday break, so it'll be packed. Maybe we should wait until it quiets down?"

"No worries," Anthea said with a smile, "Yeager's Delicacies is my mom's place. I'll make sure we get the VIP treatment."

"Seriously?"

Anthea nodded.

Lizzie instantly clung to Anthea's arm, "Annie, I've got to try your limited-edition calamari and those spicy chicken wings."

"Consider it done."

"How about I get a taste of that exclusive snowball pastry?" Tanya asked.

"It's a date."

They hooked arms with Anthea, parading her through the halls like royalty.

Meanwhile, in the staff room, Bain was scrutinizing Anthea's report card with disbelief. Philip was supposed to be the star of his class, not Anthea, the underdog.

He was convinced there had to be a catch. After mentoring Anthea for two years, he knew her to be as stubborn as a mule, and sudden genius just didn't add up.

Squinting suspiciously, he was interrupted by Waldron, the beaming teacher from Class 7, humming a jaunty tune.

"Congrats, Mr. Waldron. Your student Anthea taking first place. That's something," Bain offered, though his tone was tinged with skepticism.

Waldron smiled wide, "Thank you, Mr. Bain. But let's not forget your Philip. He's quite the contender, just a hair's breadth away from our Annie."

Bain's expression soured. "Well, we'll see if you're still smiling come final exams."

Cheat sheets might slip through the cracks of routine tests, but the finals were airtight. There would be no place to hide, and Anthea's true colors would show.

Unable to prove anything and bound by his professional decorum, Bain held his tongue, but the insinuation was clear.

Waldron's cheer faded as he caught Bain's drift. He retorted with a hint of sarcasm, "Right because only Philip could ever possibly excel. Anyone else must be cheating, which means, by that logic, our Annie must've copied from him."

"We'll see what's what on exam day," Bain countered, "But mark my words, Cloudcrest's top scholar will be Philip from my class."