IGCSE FLE Narratives & Sample Responses

The Dare

His words were ringing in my ears. "The plan is easy. Go in. Go out. It'll be finished.", Ryan did nothing but pester me. It was hard to believe that he was the same person anymore. I was his new victim though, so I couldn't help it.

As all of us waited outside the examination room, huddled together like a pack of helpless animals, I could feel him egging me on just by his presence. I was overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all-the sheer amount of time I had, just to do the unthinkable. It wasn't like me to do all this. Anyway, it wasn't like Ryan cared for or remembered who I was anymore.

It took me no time to find my seat; I was too engrossed in trying to make the vital decision-if I would fall right into his trap, or dodge it without seeming like a coward. If anything bothered me immensely, it was the mere imagination of having my face turn red in front of millions of blank faces-especially when it came to notoriety. My mind was racing with the unreal thoughts of the exam being cancelled for my sake.

What if I brought this up to the invigilator? Bullying was, after all, 'unacceptable' as they said. In reality though, I would have to live the rest of my life tagged as the teacher's pet. Complaining was never ideal these days. What if I lied to Ryan to be able to dodge it? Backing out. Wasn't cool. It was as if I was stranded on a remote island, with cliffs at both ends. Nothing could be done about it. I could feel my heartbeat quicken as the invigilator spat out the rules, clearly annoyed by our flustered and clueless state. Time was ticking. The dark, suffocating and uninviting atmosphere of the examination hall was making my already tense brain worse. I was already thinking about those sheets in the bathroom, as locked up as my feelings.

Suddenly, I snapped out of my trance as soon as my eyes met that of the invigilator's. But this was different. It wasn't the kind of look an invigilator would give a meek student. It was soft, warm and relaxed. It made me feel safer somehow, although what was coming before me I was totally unprepared for. It was as if she was telling me it was going to be alright. As I turned to look back at her, it was then that I finally found solace. Solace in the middle of an eerie examination hall. I wasn't put down anymore though, and decided to give my best for whatever appeared before me. Because of the sudden boost of morale, I felt the inside of me telling me the right things to do, making me feel wiser. That is, I knew better than to hang out with kids like Ryan.

I tried to ignore Ryan's confused, ignorant face from desks behind me. He seemed to presume everybody was afraid of him. Not me. Not anymore. I didn't want to picture what he would do to me right after it was all over. At least, not just yet. The sudden motivation I had received was all that I needed. It was hard to find true friendship and love, from all that I had been through with Ryan. It was almost as if he was lonelier than me-having to manipulate people clearly was a sign.

In a flurry of papers, it was all over. First the uncomfortable silence. Then the warm breakout of chatter among all of the students. Trying to look for the anonymous invigilator to thank her for almost nothing, I happened to bump into Ryan. I stared right back at him in the eye. Not with fear, however. Not this time. My arms were shaking in fury. I let him pin me down, took the blows too. If no one stood up for what was right, people like him would have kept getting the better of others. So if there was one thing I learned, I would never have forgiven myself in the future if I had given in then.