Last One Standing

Chapter 1

My hands stealthily weave their way through the pockets of the few people I pass on the way to the market. Quick, fleeting touches before they even realize my fingers were there. Not much of a crowd today. My heart sinks a little at the thought. How am I supposed to get enough to pay for a decent sized meal?
The sky is painted in swirls of orange as the sun beats down on the market square. The glare of the sun irritates me and I quickly slap away at the mosquitoes vying for a spot on my arm. It must be this heat. No sane person would brave this temperature unless they needed to. Which is exactly why I am out and not at home. Which on second thought, I guess doesn't matter because my house provides nothing in protection from this heat. Its occupants are too poor to fill their own bellies, let alone afford ac.

Despite the lack of people in the square, I manage to pickpocket a couple of spare bills. Mostly they hang off of the pockets of rich people, who are so financially secure that they can afford to be careless with their change. Well who am I to complain? They're paying for my dinner.

I veer right to the market stall I frequent often. Its owner, a bony old woman with dark skin named Kacela, helped sustain my family during a particularly bad winter a year ago. Since then, I make sure to buy something from her whenever I have a few spare coins. I owe her that much at least.

"School lets out next week huh?" She hands me a few small potatoes for a couple of coins.

"Yeah but it barely feels like it with all the tests they are cramming in the last minute"

She gives me a toothy smile. "And then it's off to Blakewood University"

"If I get in"

The chances of me getting into Blakewood are about as likely as the sky falling down. A shame, really. Blakewood would be the answer to all my problems. They have free tuition and the student, along with their family, are well provided for by the university. The problem? It's crazy selective. About a thousand eligible people are gunning for selection in my city alone. Only a lucky number of four students get in.

I say goodbye to Kacela and adjust the strap of my backpack to accommodate the new weight of the potatoes as I walk forward. This will be our fifth day eating potato soup. I guess I have no room to be choosy but I'm certain a few extra spices could certainly improve the taste of an otherwise bland dish. It's too bad that spices are generally expensive. Perhaps adding another vegetable to the soup will enhance the flavor? I'm still mulling over whether or not it's worth it to spend a few extra coins to buy a tomato when I come across an easy picking. Right ahead, I spy a jeans pocket with a bill worth 100 crasos. Forget the tomato, I could buy the whole vegetable stand!

Surreptitiously, I quicken my pace to get closer. My fingers close in on the bill and I'm about to pull away with a silent thanks to this rich fool when he turns around.

"What are you- Lavanya?" Aeryn's eyebrows furrowed together in a scowl. His eyes drop down to his 100 craso bill in my hand. My last minute attempt to hide the bill is futile.

Someone should knock me out unconscious so I don't have to deal with this anymore. Aeryn Whitlock is the last person I want to be caught stealing from. He's had it out for me since grade school when I got the first rank in class and he got second. Since then it's always been a game to outdo each other. When I got selected to speak at an important assembly for the school, he sneakily charmed the school board into replacing me with him. When he scored a higher grade on his english essay, I doubled down and got the highest score on my math test.

But my strive to be the best academically has nothing to do with Aeryn. Well ok fine, I admit I do get satisfaction from wiping the smugness off of his face, but mainly I need the first rank title to even be considered in Blakewood's preliminary eliminations. Aeryn doesn't need that. His future survival doesn't ride on being selected into this school.