Results

 It was Friday, June 21st, and the 4th grade students were gathered in the auditorium, anxiously awaiting the results of the exam. Some were less concerned about the test itself, and more excited about the prospect of visiting the famous Wales Industry, where the best and brightest students were selected to go on a jaunt. The atmosphere was tense, with some students fidgeting in their seats while others tried to keep calm. Suddenly, the principal's voice boomed through the PA system, breaking the silence.

The principal commenced by offering her congratulations to the students for their unwavering hard work and dedication, emphasizing that every single one of them should take pride in their efforts.

She proceeded to express that, from her perspective, they were all winners, and each student had shown remarkable progress throughout the week. As she sensed the students' heightened anticipation, she understood that the moment had arrived to disclose the results. Nonetheless, she artfully prolonged the moment, heightening the suspense even further.

Mrs. Madris stood at the front of the auditorium, her hand trembling slightly as she pulled a small remote control out of the pocket of her impeccably tailored suit. The students' eyes were glued to her every move, their hearts pounding with anticipation. She pressed a button on the remote, and a hologram appeared in the air above the podium. It contained a list of names, each followed by a score but it was blurry making it impossible to read.

A hush fell over the room, and all eyes were fixed on the holographic display. Even the most rowdy students were transfixed, their fingers drumming anxiously against their desks. There was a tension in the air, as if everyone was holding their breath. Finally, Mrs. Madris began reading the names.

The initial name that Mrs. Madris announced was Bray "Buffy" Harris, widely known as the school's notorious bully. Even the students from the 5th and 6th grades, who typically held fear of him, couldn't help but express their surprise upon hearing his name.

It seemed impossible that Buffy could have outscored the school's academic star, Trent Galkin, or even the incredibly intelligent Sydney Thompson. Gasps could be heard throughout the auditorium, and there was a sense of disbelief in the air. Many of the teachers were visibly stunned, their mouths hanging open in shock.

The silence was broken by Buffy's gang, who erupted into a thunderous applause, howling and hollering in support of their friend. Buffy, who was never one to turn down an opportunity to brag, rose to his feet and began gloating about his achievement. "I beat the nerds!" he exclaimed, his chest puffed out with pride. The other students began clapping too, but their applause was half-hearted. They had a sense that something was amiss. After all, Buffy was far from the top student in the class, and everyone knew it.

The moment Buffy's friends stopped applauding, the auditorium fell silent once again. Mrs. Madris cleared her throat and called out the name of the second-place student, Trent Galkin. The students immediately erupted into loud applause, the volume increasing with each second. They cheered and whooped with delight, proud of their friend. The teachers in the room broke into wide, genuine smiles as they joined in the applause. For a moment, it felt like the air had been cleared of Buffy's smugness.

As the applause died down once more, Mrs. Madris continued, "Third place goes to Sydney Thompson." The students applaudes. Sydney, who was usually a top student, and was clearly delighted to have placed third. But it was Barbara Doxon's turn that really got the crowd going. When Mrs. Madris announced that Barbara had placed fourth,the room erupted into a louder applause than before, the boys in the room erupted into a frenzy of applause, whistles, and whoops, with students cheering and stamping their feet in excitement.

The boys' enthusiastic applause for Barbara was fueled by more than just admiration for her academic success. It was also fueled by their desire to connect with her, romantically or otherwise. Barbara was not only intelligent and accomplished, but she was also beautiful. And while it was not uncommon for her to rank highly in class, it was still a reason for celebration. After all, who doesn't love a comeback story?

Unlike Buffy, who had an inflated sense of self-importance and a superiority complex, Barbara was humble and down-to-earth. She worked hard and was always willing to help her classmates, even those who might not have been as academically inclined as her. That's why her classmates, especially the boys, were so thrilled for her. It was a reminder that hard work pays off, and that even the "underdogs" could come out on top.

"And fifth place goes to Rebecca Moore," Mrs. Madris announced, and the room erupted into another round of applause. Another holographic image projected the names and scores of all the students who had taken the exam, and everyone's eyes were glued to it. Even though their own names might not have been called, they were still curious to know where they ranked and what their scores were. It was like a game, and they were all anxious to see the final results.

_ _

1st place: Bray Harris with a score of 99%

2nd place: Trent Galkin with a score of 97.5%

3rd place: Sydney Thompson with a score of 95%

4th place: Barbara Doxon with a score of 89.5%

5th place: Rebecca Moore with a score of 85%

6th place: Vee Raynes with a score of 80%

7th place: Lynch Slaton with a score of 77%

8th place: Adeline Yamaguchi with a score of 73

9th place: Charles Hollis with a score of 72.5%

10th place: Richard Davenport with a score of 70%.

...

100th place (last place): Hans Evensen with a score of 47%.

As the results were being announced, Hans' face turned cold when he saw his name in last place. Without saying a word to anyone, he got up and walked out of the auditorium.

Mrs. Madris announced that the top five students would be taking an excursion the following week, although the date had not yet been decided. She encouraged all the students to continue working hard and congratulated them on their results. The students filed out of the auditorium, some more excited than others.

"Congratulations, Trent!" Barbara said with a smile. Trent beamed, "But you're the one who should be congratulated! Did you see the looks on everyone's faces when your name was called?"

"Oh, stop it!" Barbara blushed, feeling a little embarrassed by all the attention. "But I was surprised when they called Buffy as number one. And not only that, but with a score of 99%!" she added, her brow furrowing slightly.

"It's pretty obvious that he cheated, but let's leave it to Mrs. Madris to deal with that," Trent replied. Sydney rushed over to them, giving Trent a hearty hug. "I'm so happy for you, buddy! This means you get to go to Wales Industry. I'm so proud of you!" Sydney exclaimed. The three friends chatted excitedly as they walked out of the room, discussing all the possibilities that the trip to Wales Industry would bring.

.

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At Wales Industry, John Wales paced around the lab in a state of agitation. He had been expecting the Naerse Technology to be up and running by now, but it seemed like it was still far from ready. His employees stood around, watching him with worried looks on their faces. They had never seen their boss this worked up before, and they were starting to get nervous.

Miss Jaun cautiously approached him, a hint of trepidation in her demeanor. She extended the tablet to him, and he accepted it, fixing his gaze on the screen. His frown transformed into a smile. John nodded in acknowledgment and returned the tablet as Miss Jaun took her leave.