Smart

Grades, Tag, and Johana

I stood in line in front of the grader. The test took me two hours, and Integrated Science-Math 2 was just a stupid class. True, I was really bad at science, but I didn't need to have my electives replaced by the subjects I hated the most. Finally, the grader spit out a receipt. 80.24%, B-, the best grade I'd gotten all year, but not high enough.

My parents expected me to get grades like my siblings. High A's filled the transcripts of all my family members. They were average, but average in this city meant genius in any other city. Eugenics meant only the smartest people lived in our city.

"Psst," Tag whispered. "What did you get?" He already got his grade. 93.2%, much better than me. Typical. But he never bragged. He wasn't quite good enough for the system, either.

I followed Tag away from the grader and gave him my receipt. He sighed. We were all "idiots" in this class, but I had to be the stupidest. My parents both graduated at the top of their class, so they were one of the few who have been allowed to have three children. It would have totally worked out if I, the youngest, weren't a bonehead.

"Hey, it's better than your bio test," Tag said, winking. I'd gotten a 74% on that one. I'd hid the receipt from my parents. It was still sitting in my drawer where I hoped it would stay.

"True," I said, leaving the class. Last and worst class of the day was Integrated Science-Math 2. I looked forward to swimming in my pool. My pool and no one else's pool. Only the people who lived in the Crystalline Court could even request a pool. Did I mention that my parents' smarts made them automatically wealthy?

Tag followed me home, being my best friend ever. We'd known each other since they put us in the same math summer class. My parents hated his grades and his sense of humor. More the reason I had to be his friend.

I walked in my front door, savoring the smell of cinnamon wafting through the halls. Mom always set it on cinnamon. Another great feature only available to the smart of the city.

"I love your house, Amery," Tag said. His house was nowhere near as decked out as mine was. He lived in the Worker's Circle, where the other factory workers lived.

"Me too," I responded. "Is anyone home?" I asked the house.

"Johana is home," my house responded.

"Darn," I hissed. Oh course, my average (read heck of smart) sister would be visiting. After the Central Computer matched her up with Assic, she'd been coming home and more often.

I started upstairs, Tag following. "Where's she?" I said. A video feed of Johana's room showed up on my eyescreen.

"Johana is in Bedroom C," the house responded.

Tag smiled, hearing the house's response. "At least she's not screwing up your room."

I focused and zoomed in on the receipt I could see in Johana's hand. "Oh great, she's got my bio test," I said, pushing Tag the video feed. We speed up the stairs, rushing into the room and nearly knocking the door off its hinges.

"Whoa," Johana shouted. "What are you doing in my room?" Her electric blue hair fell just past her shoulders, and her green gradient bangs framed her green eyes, currently colored by purple contacts. She looked so mad.

I was in a no better mood. "Give me back my test," I said in a low voice.

"Oh, about that," Johana snarled. "Why are you still alive? If I had these grades in eleventh grade, Ellie would have killed me on spot."

I knew why Mom didn't kill me. She knew I wasn't as smart as Johana or our older brother Terrik. But I would never admit that to Johana. Even if she already knew it. "Give me. My test. Now," I repeated.

Tag stiffened behind me. "You might want to be careful," he whispered. The last time Johana and I fought, it had been bloody.

If looks could kill, those purple contacts of Johana's would have killed Tag. "Shut up, you little-"

Suddenly, the house chimed. "Hey, I'm home," Mom's voice played through the house. "I'm ordering pizza. Come downstairs, kids."

Johana stubbornly stuffed the receipt into my hand. "Next time you won't be so lucky, bonehead," she spat at me.

"It wouldn't have to be this way if you weren't so average," I snarled, but I knew that wasn't true. The problem was that I was stupid for my own family.

"Come on, Tag. Let's go swimming out back," I said. "Pizza can wait."