I PASSED
[CYBER CAFÉ]
“I passed!!! Roxanna screamed. “I fucking passed, Diana!”
“Really?!” Diana sprang up. “Show me.” She snatched the sheet of paper from Roxanna.
Her eyes hovered around the paper, skimming through every details she would call unimportant until it stopped at the percentage rate.
“80%!!!” Her eyes went wide.
“I did it Diana! I’m so happy!”
“Ahh!!!!!” Diana screamed out in excitement as she pulled Roxanna into a big hug. “I’m proud of you!”
“Me too. I can finally go to a good school.”
They broke the hug.
“Time to check yours,” Roxanna said.
“Me? Why me? We both know I can never pass the exam,” Diana protested.
“Don’t say that. I watched you study hard. That effort wouldn’t go to waste.”
“I’m barely an average student while you’re above an average student. It’s easier for you to pass.”
“Will you keep talking or do I—”
“Printed,” the café man said, holding a white sheet of printed paper.
“Finally.” Roxanna took the paper from him.
“No, no, no.” Diana turned around, and placed her hand above her face. “I don’t want to check it now. You never listen.”
Roxanna didn’t reply, making Diana call out her name.
“Roxi…”
“95!” The word left Roxanne’s lips in shock, eyes going wide.
“What are you saying?” Diana turned around.
“You got 95%, Diana!”
“Let me see.” Diana snatched the paper away from her, and turned it around since it was upside down.
Just like how she did to Roxanne’s own, her eyes skimmed through the less important thing, going straight to the percentage.
“95%!!!”
“I told you so.”
“Tell me this is a lie. I’m dreaming, right?”
“You aren’t baby girl. It’s the truth! You got 95%, five percent away from the overall percentage.”
“Ahhh!!!” Diana screamed out, and pulled Roxanna into a tight friendly hug.
“I did it, Anna. This is unbelievable! Like a barely average student Diana got a 95 whooping percent. I don’t believe this.” She broke the hug.
Diana walked over to the screen, and took control of the system. “Let me see.”
Moving the cursor, her eyes found the percentage again. Still the same.
“Satisfied?” Roxanna asked.
“I… I don’t know what to say,” Diana confessed speechlessly.
“You can just scream it out again.”
Diana looked at the score one more time, and squealed happily. “I passed! We passed!”
“There is something else,” The cafe man said, interrupting the girls as he moved the down button.
“You got admitted straight to year two!” He broke the news.
The both girls exchanged glances, rushed to his table, and slammed their palms on it.
“Let me see!”
****
[TASTY EAT BAKERY STORE]
“Mom!” Diana ran past her mother, held her hand, and twirled her around.
“Diana.” Tate being caught unawares had no choice but to turn around.
“Can’t you see I’m busy.”
Diana’s traced her gaze to the table, and saw her mom was packing the freshly baked pie inside the showcase.
Her mother runs a small bakery store by the roadside—not too far away from their house.
Diana helps sometimes, but she isn’t so good at baking, so Tate doesn’t let her do much.
“I can see it, but guess what!”
Tate exhaled. “I’m not in the mood for your silly tricks.”
“Just guess…” Diana stomped her feet on the ground.
“Just tell me,” Tate said, and faced the customer that came to buy a cake.
Diana had to wait for the customer to go.
Tate turned to her, and placed both hands on her waist. “Are you ready to tell me?”
Diana muttered some gibberish underneath her breath, as she opened her small bag, and brought out the paper.
“Guess the next fresher in line,” she started fanning herself with the paper, rolling her eyes dramatically.
Tate’s hands slipped from her waist, brain slowly processing it.
“Don’t tell me you…”
“I passed! Not the usual pass… like pass, pass with the total of 95%.”
Tate’s lips spread into a wide smile as she engulfed Diana into a tight hug. “I know your hardwork wouldn’t go to waste.”
Diana wriggled herself out of her the hug. “Wait, let me finish.” She cleared her throat. “Diana Reed isn’t going to be a fresher, rather she’s skipping straight into year.”
Tate squeezed her face again. “You are back with your games.”
“I’m not mom! It’s the truth. I don’t know how it happened, but—” she unfolded the paper, and pointed at the place it was written. “Here. I’m starting from second year!”
“Wow.” Tate pulled her into a more tighter hug, then pulled her back and rained kisses on her face. “I’m so proud of me.”
“It still feels like a dream.” She took out her phone from her pants. “I have to call Kieran and tell him.”
She dialed the number but ended it before it could go through.
“No, I have to go and tell him myself. I can already imagine the look on his face. I’m going. Kieran needs to hear this big news.”
“Did anyone say Kieran?”
She heard a male voice behind her, so close that she felt his breath on her neck.
Immediately, she spun around, eyes lighting up.
“Kieran!” She jumped on him, hooked her legs around his waist, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He held her thighs, still holding the shopping bag he was holding.
“You’re here? How did you know I was about coming to see you? It’s a good thing that you’re here.”
Kieran let out a short laughter. “You’re unusually happy to see me.”
She flickered his forehead. “I’m always happy to see you dummy.”
“Dummy?” Kieran teased.
Diana rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Guess what?”
“You passed your exams?”
Diana’s brow etched into a frown as she slapped his shoulder. “You didn’t have to guess it right.”
“You asked me to guess?” Kieran raised his brow, having that smile on his lips as he enjoyed teasing her.
“Yeah right. I scored 95%!” She announced.
Kieran’s eyes grew wide in surprise. “You are not joking right?”
“I’m not,” Diana smiled. “I’m serious. Whatever word that means excessive serious, I’m damn all. Not only that, I was admitted straight to year two!”
Kieran’s mouthed a word. “I’m so happy for my bestie.”
“Exactly. I’ll finally join your school, and we’ll get to see each other all day long.” She used her hand to demonstrate the long, grining from ear to ear.
“Didn’t know my dumb friend could score this high?”
She threw him a glare, grabbed his right ear.
One of his earrings hindered her fingers, but she was able to find a way through as she squeezed his ear hard.
“I am dumb? I’m literally five percent away from hundred.”
Kieran laughed. “Fine, you are intelligent.”
“Better.” She let go of his ear.
“But, don’t you think it wasn’t all your hardwork. Someone else might have interfered.”
“Who else would interfer? You? Oh please… my luck is shining so bright. I feel like I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”
“You are indeed lucky. Having a handsome guy like me as your bestie is not a joke.”
“Cocky ass.” She paused still wearing that huge smile. “Do you think something is wrong? Getting admitted into year two is weird to me.”
“FYA actions aren’t always predictable. Don’t think too much about it.”
“Right. If it’s a mistake, they’ll let me know.”
Kieran hummed. “Do you plan on staying in this position forever, or will you come down and allow me to say hi to aunt?”
“You won’t blame me. The excitement is too much.” Diana came down from his body.
Kieran looked at Tate.
“Don’t look at me. Enjoy your little chat. You can see she’s so happy.”
Kieran stepped closer. “How are you doing, aunt?”
“When I have this big mouth with me.” She poked Diana’s cheek. “How do you think I should be doing?”
“True. She’s a handful of trouble,” Kieran agreed.
“Yet, this trouble have been your friend for more than ten years.”
“Trouble friend,” Kieran corrected.
Diana gasped. “I’m trouble?” She picked the spatula.
Kieran was faster, he stretched his right hand to her. “I got your favorite.”
“Chocolate and strawberry?”
“No matter how the weird the combination may sound, yes.”
Diana squealed, rushing to collect the bag from him. “Triple surprise.”
She opened the bag, and peeked inside. Her heart leapt in excitement.
“You are the best, Kieran.” She stood on her toes, and pecked him on the lips.
Breaking the peck, she pulled Kieran down to a chair, and sat on on his lap.
Tate shook her head, smiling as she went back to her stand.
Diana tore the chocolate open, then took out the strawberry.
All these while, Kieran had his eyes entirely hooked on her.
She took a bite of the two, simultaneously.
“Hmm.” She moaned, allowing the taste to ravish in her mouth, before swallowing.
Feeling his gaze on her, she raised her brow at him, then pushed both to his face. “Have some. You’re gonna love it.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Com’on.” They touched his lips. “I promise they’re tasty! You should be glad I’m sharing!”
Kieran opened his mouth, and she shoved it in.
“Too sweet.”
“That’s my Kieran.” She pecked his cheeks, and leaned down to get another one when he held the back of her neck.
She faced him. “What?”
“I’m sure the one on your lips will taste much better.”
“Huh?”
He brought her head closer, stuck his tongue out, and licked the smeared chocolate and strawberry at the corner of her lips.
She giggled.
