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

"I swear I know her!\"

\"Sure, you do.\"

\"No, really! She's the star of class 7 at Northbridge High School! Super famous there!\"

\"No wonder she's so gorgeous... a school celebrity, huh...\"

Soon enough, Anthea found her way to the exam hall. There were two teachers guarding both the front and back doors. Entering the hall, not only did they pat you down, but they also ran a metal detector over you.

At the front of the line was a bespectacled guy who set off the detector continuously at his back, making the proctors exchange weird glances. "Got something on you? Why's it beeping at your back?"

Normally, you'd expect beeping at the back for girls, not guys... That was a bit hard to believe.

As soon as these words were out, not only did others start looking their way, but the guy's face also turned beet red. "I... I'm not wearing anything weird..."

Just then, a few girls standing beside the guy discreetly stepped back a few steps. The once incessant beeping of the metal detector suddenly stopped. Realizing the mix-up, the proctor said, "Go on in."

With a quick pace, the guy hurried inside.

Anthea, having prepared by wearing all cotton undergarments, passed the metal detector without any issue. She smoothly entered the exam hall. Choosing a seat by the window, she only needed to slightly turn her head to enjoy the lush greenery of summer outside.

A boy in a crisp white shirt had been eyeing her from the moment Anthea walked in, his gaze flitting towards her now and then. In all his years of schooling, he had never seen a girl as pretty as her.

Before long, it was 9 AM. The

proctor went over the exam rules before distributing the test papers.. The first test was in Language Arts Anthea started with the essay, then moved on to the rest of the paper. She wrote quickly, as if without needing to think, and yet her handwriting was stunningly beautiful.

By 10:30, Anthea had finished, but since she couldn't leave early, she double-checked her answers before resting her head on the desk to nap. While everyone else was furiously writing, there was Anthea, napping. The proctors couldn't help but look her way. In all their years of teaching, they'd never seen someone sleep during their exams. Was her performance that bad?

Anyone with even a semblance of ambition wouldn't dare sleep during their exams. It seemed like a waste of teaching to them!

Soon, it was time to collect the

papers. At the sound of the bell, everyone stopped writing, and the proctors collected the papers personally. When one of them collected Anthea's, he took an extra moment to look. What he expected to be a flop turned out to be a top-tier performance. It wasn't just the content of the answers. Just the handwriting alone was enough to amaze. No wonder she felt comfortable enough to sleep; she had the skills to back it up.

After handing in her paper, Anthea left the hall. Just then, a boy ran up to her. "Excuse me, miss?"

"Are you talking to me?" Anthea turned, her gaze meeting his.

Facing Anthea, the boy's cheeks flushed, and he nodded. "Yes."

"What's up?" Anthea asked.

The boy went on, "I'm Palmer, we were in the same exam hall. I was in the middle group, you were in the first. Can we be friends? Which high school are you from?"

"I'm from Northbridge High School," Anthea replied.

"I'm from Central Town High, right next to your school," Palmer continued. "Being in the same hall must be fate. How about we exchange numbers?"