PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM!
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Four years old, James Wright sat at the piano in the classroom, carefully and elegantly playing the tune of 'Mary had a little lamb', to the rest of his peers, attempting to impress the teacher, for the top grade. It wasn't his favourite song, in fact, he didn't even like the song, but he could play it. He was the only person in his class who could play a tune fluently on any instrument and to be able to do it on the piano? Even more of an achievement. For he was the best, he always had been. He always would be. He may have only been four, but for James coming out on top, meant everything to him, he wanted the grades, the glory and he had it. No one was going to steal it.
He finished playing the piece and was applauded by the rest of the class who smiled up at him, making him feel proud and on top once again. "Well done, James. That was wonderful." He gave a toothy smile before sitting back down on the carpeted floor and waiting for the next lesson to stand.
"Shawn, you're next." His teacher smiled down at the boy who looked up shyly and gave a small smile before slowly rising and making his way to the piano. "Shawn?" The brunette boy looked up, "What are you going to be playing?" The boy's face grew nervous and shy, "Uh... Fallin'." A smug smile formed on James' little face. That was a pop song, no one could play those. He would for sure get the highest grade.
Shawn looked back down at the piano and began quietly playing, soft flowing music sounded, with not a break as the boy played at the right speed. James' smug smile faded, Shawn was good, too good. How could he play like that? He wasn't smart, he wasn't a good looking boy either, so how come he was good at music?
Soon, Shawn finished playing and he received a standing ovation. James stayed sitting, why did Shawn get cheers and not him? He was best. "Wow, Shawn, the passion. That was fantastic." He blushed and sat back down, giving a quiet 'thank you'.
The teacher continued to call various other people's names out as James glared into Shawn's back. He wasn't allowed to be better than him. No one was. "Camila." The teacher called out and a blushing little girl stepped up, from beside Shawn. She was cute, nothing special in James's book but clearly impressed Shawn, which lowered her credit to James.
She sat at the piano and played 'twinkle little star'. Music clearly wasn't her thing, since she messed up quite a few times but Shawn didn't care because when she finished, he pulled her into a hug. "Good try. Camila." Finally, after a few more people were called to perform, she began to call everyone's names out in order of grading. Camila was somewhere in the middle, he noticed before finally, it got to the top two. Other of his classmates thought it was wrong to put students in order of how well they did, but James loved it and since his father was the main benefactor (he had no idea what it meant, but heard others saying it), the teacher did what he wanted, but she wouldn't lie about people's performance. "In second is," James felt a smirk on his face, he was going to come first, he knew it. He never lost and he wasn't about to lose to the little twirp, Shawn. "James!" His little face fell, he was second, he wasn't first. He- he- he LOST!
"And in first place is Shawn!" The little boy blushed before Camila's arm wrapped around him in a hug. Everyone congratulated the little boy, except for James. Soon recess was called and everyone went outside to the playground. James normally would have played with his friends, but Shawn was bothering him. Deciding he didn't want to think of the little blemish on his perfect record, he stormed over to the boy and Camila, shoving him. "Listen, you little idiot. I'm better than you, I deserved first place, not you." He hissed, poking him in the chest. Shawn was smaller than him, so he couldn't fight back. Instead, the little twirp, took it like he deserved it, which he did. How dare he think he could beat him? No one could beat him.
