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Chapter 23- Exam Results and Elated Romance

Chemistry, grade 7.
Physics, grade 8.
Maths, grade 7.
Geography, grade 7.
History, grade 7.
Art, grade 8.
English literature, grade 8.
English language, grade 9.
Drama, distinction.
Connor's eyes were wide as he stared down at the paper, the results in front of him causing his heart to hammer against his chest as he let it sink in that these were his actual grades and qualifications. He'd hit his targets and surpassed many of them, the sight of the document in his hand proving this bringing a smile to his face and a form of excitement to his mood. Although he still stood in partial disbelief, he couldn't seem to wake up, even his nerves before receiving the paper had lead to him scratching at the back of his hand, digging his nails into his skin, followed by his uncontrollable urge to pick at his nails again, breaking one down too far for comfort. Despite all of this, he wasn't regaining consciousness, all evidence pointing towards him already being awake already.
He wasn't dreaming at all, meaning he'd passed each and every subject.
His gaze suddenly locked onto the number nine beside 'English language', the highest grade possible and he'd received it in his best subject. Whatever he'd managed to do before leaving the exam hall following his violent fit of coughing and sputtering, in addition to the second language paper had pushed him past his targets and prove to him that he was perfectly capable, both of what he loved to do and what he strived to eventually take as a serious career; he was an incredible writer. Connor was given such a burst of confidence at seeing it, his vivid imagination recalling all he wrote for his creative piece, even imagining it as a detailed and engaging prologue for a novel, one with his name on it; a published work by him for others to read and immerse themselves in the world he had created and morphed from the single line stimulus the exam paper had provided him with.
The teen finally managed to tear his gaze away and look up, taking a deep and shaky breath before allowing his view to wander. Eyes slowly moving about the room, watching other students in either similar or opposite states upon seeing their final grades, he eventually caught sight of somebody all too familiar, although someone he hadn't spoken to nearly as regularly as he used to. Judging by the expression of euphoria on her face, the boy could safely assume that Christine Scott was one of those reacting just as he was.
It was almost at the exact same time that she looked up, her hand moving to cover her mouth, her lips curved up into a smile that she could barely contain, and her grip on her paper so tight that she had already creased and disgruntled up to half of the page. Brown eyes darting up, she almost immediately saw Connor, her gaze drawn to the boy who had begun staring without realising, eventually letting her feet move as she approached him with a much shyer than usual shuffle. As the redhead girl then halted, a single step between them, her entire aura and demeanour had shifted, her smile, her pride and her nervous mannerisms made her seem like a different person, but at the very least, Connor knew that it was because she'd opened up to somebody else, even if it had only been one person; she was becoming more honest and open.
He had expected her attitude to be different on results day, considering that her teachers and classmates, including Connor, had noticed a significant increase in her attendance as of late, and due to this, her predicted grades were also rising. There were still concerns, however, that this was only a temporary burst of energy or motivation, and there were still thoughts revolving around how she'd previously been known to act aggressively when under stress. During the mock exams held earlier that year, she'd left the room after only thirty minutes, almost broken the door handle of the room containing their bags and mobile phones, and then, when confronted, she'd barged past a teacher on her way to the main gates, yelling for them to 'fuck off with crappy mocks!' It was due to this that, although her change in attitude towards her academic standing was undoubtedly beneficial for her and her teachers, to help reduce stress as much as possible, they'd places her in an additional room away from the exam hall.