Eva shakes her legs constantly. ' I can't do this.' she thinks to herself.

She glances at the clock her teacher had put on the smart board.

11:25

On 25 more minutes until she would have to submit her test. Only 25 more minutes until her future was sealed. Eva could barely breathe. Flicking her pencil up and down on the desk.

Dop dop dop the pencil makes.

Multiple people kept turning around to glare at her, but Eva was too caught up in the flurry of thoughts in her head. The energy drink she chugged earlier was making her hands shake more than they already were. And her ADHD was no help. Causing her to think about Mario Cart and her Spotify playlist instead of the quadratic question in front of her.

This was Eva's most important exam of her year. The exam that would determine of she can make the top 10 students in her grade and if she could make it into her dream collage in USC. And if she failed she would not only get practically disowned by her own parents, but she'll be a disappointment to everyone. I mean, she was talking about going to college and moving out of her parent's house since forever!

'Think think think!' She thought for what seemed like the hundredth time.

y2-y1=m (x2-x1) helped slim to none and the clock was ticking closer and closer to the ending point. Peers around her were shutting there laptops off one by one. Finishing their test with satisfied sighs. Was she the only one that was having trouble?

Her palms got sweaty and she started cracking her knuckles. y=mx+a? Or was it y=mx+b? It was starting to blur all together.

"You have 10 minutes left for those of you still working." Ms. Moen, her math teacher stated.

Eva took a deep breath. She had to do this. So she wiped her hands on her jeans, adjusted her position in her seat and glanced at the problem again. It was starting to make more sense and it obviously couldn't be A or C.

So she clicked B and submitted it...

TW: Christian theme ——✝️—-

There aren’t any chewing gum infested desks or number two pencils, no sushing teacher or profusely scribbling students. There’s a clock and it’s ticking. I’ll die one day. So will you. The test is like a furnace, the fire - affliction. You throw me into the flames and join me in them. You seperate the dross of my flesh and make me into a precious metal. You fashion me into Your image, day by painful day. You place on me great burdens, weights that I cannot yet bear. When I fall, You lift me to my feet. When I collapse, You carry me.

How does it feel to be sitting in an exam knowing you must pass? I would know, I am doing that right now. yes, I know that I am writing this when I should be taking the exam, yet I finished. I just don´t want to turn it in yet. to be honest I am really scared to turn it in, because if I fail I will be kicked off the team. I know it sounds unimportant to a lot of people, but this team is my family and it means a lot to me. I would do anything for my teammates, even if that means I have to take this boring test to be able to stay on the team. well I guess here goes nothing.

Thunder hit! BAM BAM BAM BAM! As I entered the classroom, it felt like my heart and lungs collapsed like a falling building! As I sat down, I could only think about what my parents would think if I failed. I'd be a failure; I'd be their burning house! My heart rapidly palpitated! As I gradually picked up my pencil, I thought about how life would be if I failed. I would be embodied in flames. If I failed this, I'd never forgive myself. My pencil was shaking in my hand! My hands were now as soggy as a pool! My face was as red as a beet! The deafening sound of the classroom was unbearable! I dropped my pencil and everyone heard it in the deafening classroom! All the shadowy faces in the classroom stared at me in vain! I looked around the classroom only to see everyone else was finished with their exams. Just then, I heard the eerie school bell! Ring ring ring! It was time to switch classes, but I wasn't done with my exam yet! What am I gonna do? I made the worst mistake in my life. I just answered every question with the multiple-choice letter "C"!

As I look and flip through the questions I can feel butterflies in my stomach. The silence in the room has never been more scary than now. I will pass this exam but I’m scared what if I fail this, I will become disowned and known as the girl who never passed her exams At this moment in time, she is feeling the pressure and she is overwhelmed. She needs to remain calm and focus on the questions not her emotions. how about we take one more look at this and I will say this to my scared, nervous, self that I will pass this I am smart and I will conquer this even though I am scared, I can do this! The time is going like every second is a minute even though it is. Which suddenly kicks her brain, I only have half an hour left! Her breathing is going very fast, but she controls her breathing and is now feeling more relaxed and confident in herself and in no time finishes the exam, passing it, she feels happy and proud of her self.

The pencil slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor. As he leaned over to retrieve it the throbbing againts his forehead and temples deepened. His fingers attempted to pick the already slick pencil up but the task almost became impossible with the sweat permeating from his palms.

After about three attempts he finally felt a solid grasp and pushed himself back up to once again be face to face with the very pinnacle of his future. Who would have thought that the one thing in Peter’s life that could stop him from his dreams would be a one inch thick stack of white papers.

Tik, tok, tik, tok

The ticking of the clock was always the loudest thing in the mundane, drab room. He frequented this place multiple times a semester and never has the ticking got to him. This time was different though, this time the ticking of the clock instilled anxiety. With each tik and each tok he was closer and closer to running out of his allotted time to finish the gods forsaken test.

Freedom was on the other side of that clock though. Also with each tik and each tok meant that at some point he would be free. Time could not stop here in this unbearable anxious moment. It was just a matter of if he would be free in the way he desired.

With his pencil finally in hand and gripped firmly the tension in his head pulled tighter focusing its hold right in the center of his eyes. It hurt like hell but his mind was focused, concentrated directly on each question and each bubble he darkened for an answer. With each darkened circle his tenstion loosened a fraction of the built up pressure, realeasing each piece of knowledge from his mind like keeping a shaken soda can from exploding. Bit by bit the pressure eased. Scribble by scribble the tension waned.

He knew the answers and rarely second guessed himself. All those late nights of studying, skipped parties, dates, and spontaneous vacations he choose to forego were all paying off with each turn of the stack of papers in front of him.

_Tik, tok, tik, tok _

The beating heart in his chest kept time with the rhythm of the clock now. Each beat growing rapidly. The future he knew he could have, the life he knew he could live was right there just in reach of his grasp as long as he could just extend his mind a little further to grasp it, and cradle that future like a newborn babe.

Sketching his number two pencil along the final tiny bubble, he flopped back into his chair, allowing his lungs to release his breathe he didn’t realize he had been holding for the last minute. The thumping of his heart now slowing to a normal beat, away from the ticking clock on the wall. Sweat on his forehead sticks to the hair there and with a slight tossel of his right hand he smooths it back and off the moisture.

Now it’s time to let it all go, there is nothing else he can possibly do at this point. Peter turns in his chair to stand, grabs his test and number two pencil and makes his way to the front of the room, through the door, and on to the future that this moment brings him.

and I woke from a dream every songbird sings for me flowers bloom brightly the first thing I see

I went to sleep restless now filled of what if’s spring season upon me returns the mischief

sky clearer than good judgement It’s tossed to the wind am I edging closer on the angle of sin?

the flirt and play intoxicate me long been here before I know it’s not smart but I do it more

but life passes quickly and fate leads my way I pause and I ponder even as my dangerous heart wanders

as I dance this morning and I create art I know in the end nothing can move me this land of pretend

I’m settled and happy my life a straight line but the magic between us I don’t deny

so again I am rising and thinking of you On this day I behave Keep busy move forward try to be brave

the banter I so love happens but once a week the trouble the peril the damage returns I can’t stop dreaming the fantasy burns

but I know from past lessons learned hard I’ll try to remember this is the fun part and later I shatter as you beak my heart

written about a friend who sharing this with me.. I’ll respect her wish to not be identified

I looked around the classroom. Everyone was bent over their papers, focusing on the exam. We have to pass it if we want to pass this class.

I bit my lip and turned back to the exam in front of me. I’d been studying extremely hard for this, because it’s my worst subject. And my second time taking this stupid class.

1. Who was president of the United States during World War 2?

Frick. Um… weren’t his initials the same as the two w’s in WW2? Or was that for the first war?

Woodrow Wilson was a president for one of them.

Wait, or was it that he had the double initial but it wasn’t w’s? Was it Ronald Reagan?

I know that Abraham Lincoln was president during the civil war…

I think it’s Ronald Reagan for World War 2, and Woodrow Wilson for World War 1. Am I spelling those wrong?

Whatever, next question.

2. What year did World War 1 begin?

No clue. World War 2 was sometime in the 1900’s so I’ll just say like, 18… 67. Perfect.

3. Who were the United States fighting against in World War 2?

I bit my lip. Germany, China, maybe Japan, Russia? Wait, how many countries were against us?

I’ll have to come back to that question.

4. What was the cause of World War 1?

My entire mind blanked. I couldn’t even remember our teacher going over this. Uh…

Because Germany wanted more land.

That’s a good answer, go me!

5. How many years did World War 2 last?

It was like, 50 years long, right? No, that’s way too long to be fighting a war. I’ll say 12.

6. Who was Winston Churchill?

Oh, I know this one. He was the leader of England. Wait, was he the leader? Is that was England calls them? No, because he wasn’t the king…

He was a general then? I remember him giving a speech. Perhaps like, an advisor?

Advisor sounds rightish. I’ll go with that one.

7. Who was the leader of Germany during World War 1?

I frowned at the paper. Literally, who even knows that? I know Hitler was World War 2 and that’s about it. I never even thought through that it was someone else for the other war.

I groaned. This is only the World War section of the test and I can’t even remember this stuff, how the heck am I supposed to answer the rest of the questions?

I flipped to the third page and randomly chose a question.

36. What started the French and Indian War?

Son of a. I literally know NOTHING about that war. I don’t remember being taught this crap.

I sighed through my nose as I read more of the questions and realized that I was absolutely and utterly screwed.

After filling in the few I knew and guessing on the rest, I stood up with the 100 question exam in my hands.

I’m figuring I’ll probably get about 23 right. Maybe a bit more if I’m lucky and the teacher’s sick of me being in the class.

Bringing the BS filled test to the teacher, I gave her an apologetic smile. “I’ll see you next year.”

One small table, a deck of cards, two chairs, the plain room smelt of body odor. Mills FreeGray paused at the door uncertain. He took it all in: the taupe sound-blocking tiles, how his feet felt on fresh carpet, the precise levels of volatile organic compounds recirculating through the HVAC and the holo mirror where two to three humans sat behind hidden from his view but not his sensors. Mills took a seat.

Instinctively, Mills reached for the cards. Twirling the boxed deck of cards in one hand, he thought of exploring Olde Earth with Mama. They collected human artifacts such as these cards. Mills liked to find exotic cans, Pabst Blue Ribbon, fancy baby peas. Mama always searched for playing cards. He felt she was here holding his hand. The door opened. Mills set aside the cards and the memories.

Mills ran through his 3796 rehearsed greetings. A fellow Android entered, petite with mottled gray skin. Mills froze making an odd clicking sound as his positronic brain freaked out. She reminded Mills of his yeoman DeeDee and he smiled and then frowned. Mills stood awkwardly as the Android made her way to her chair opposite him.

“Good afternoon, Millers FreeGray, orginal designation Millers 0082379/a farm equipment. I am Dr. Dora Saturn, staff psychologist, and I will be proctoring your final exam, for the Saturnine Police Academy.”

“All right and all free, Sister Gray, it’s always good to see another Android,” Mills said, relaxing back in his chair.

“We don’t use such phrases like Sister Gray on Saturn. Now unbox the cards and create a structure with increasing numbers of cards on each level,” Dora said.

Processing Mills stared. Dr. Saturn stared back. Mills opened the deck, fanning the cards in an arc. Without looking away from the doctor’s grim stare. Familiarizing himself with the cards’ tensile strength, he shuffled and began building. His dad had been into engineering and they had created terraced gardens together.

“No offense, Doc.”

“None taken,” Dora said. “Why do you want to become a police officer in Saturn City? No offense, but as farm equipment you seem better suited for homesteading on one of the moons.”

“Law and order, I want to be a part of creating a safer environment for families on the frontier. And as the tractor said to the garbage disposal, weren’t the Decompostion units orginally created for maintenance, Doctor?”

With a fierce eyebrow, Dora crossed her legs jiggling the small table. Half the house of cards collapsed. She shook her head with mock sadness and tapped her watch.

At treble speed, Mills began again.

“You, I, and all the evaluators watching you right now know that answer is bullshit. The war is over and the mighty rebel leader wants to play Columbo. For the optics, we have to give you a chance to apply and take all the human tests and a few more tests just for Androids, but what are you really doing here?” Dora shouted.

More cards tumbled. Whistling “This Old Man” Mills continued building his house of cards.

“We don’t need outside agitators on Saturn, stirring up the Grays. We’ve worked too hard to make a home here. The population is 50 percent human, 50 percent Android. Are you here to start trouble?”

“Trouble comes like love comes when it comes,” Mills said with a shrug. “And I am here to create a safe environment for families. My familiy. Police officers under the Outer Ring Planets Act can request emigration for close family members. I have parents—yes, parents—a pair of very nice tractors who resurrected me, repaired me, and raised me. They are living on Olde Earth now tooth and claw battlling Big Argo and the scavenger techs. I want to bring them here. Keep them safe. And if I have to protect this chunk of ice and every batshit crazy being, meat and metal, living on it to protect my family I will. No prob.”

Mills leaned back in his chair, resting his handsome scarred head back in his intertwined silvery fingers. Dora gave the table a frustrated rap. The egg shaped card house wavered but did not fall.

“Spare a dollar?” A disheveled man called. He reeked of the streets, “Where’s your blue collar?” I asked in return, I worked for these sheets, Won’t give it for a holler.

“Humanity not enough?” His slurred voice rang. Why won’t he let up? “I won’t pay your next puff.” I turned to leave, no beggar deserves sup’s no matter how rough.

“As you turn your back astray Consider me again When your life is being amounted on judgement day” His voice filled the vacant air. Fallen onto a deaf heart As the most important test of all I had unknowingly failed.