"You're going to do fine," Freddie said through the phone. "You studied, you had food, and you had coffee. You will do fine."
"But, what if I screw up?"
"You'll be fine. We acted out those sonnets. Remember?"
Clara giggled at the memory. Freddie had read them as if he were president of the United States and he had read them in silly voices, too.
"Go, kiddo. Text me when you're done. I'll pick you up early."
Clara's final exams were spread out over two days. Since it was the first day, the second and fourth blocks were taking their exams first. For history, all she had was a project on the history of something. She had already presented it and gotten an A. She did the History of Fandoms.
(I legitimately did this one time. It was fourteen wonderful slides starting with Sherlock Holmes and ending with fandoms of the 2020s. It had about ten pictures of Misha Collins doing random shit. I got an 100.)
It was just English that she was worried about. She had to thoroughly explain 7 poems they had read over the semester on top of the other passages like Beowulf and Canterbury Tales. It was exhausting and waiting two hours to take it was even more exhausting.
Her first period teacher had them do Kahoot and one kid was already eliminated for putting "Karen took the kids" as their nickname. Two kids followed up with nicknames such as "Karen" and "the kids". Clara was in first place until she got one question wrong and ended up in fourteenth place.
Zach and Bailey met her in the hallway.
"You're gonna do fine," Zach soothed. "You'll get a good grade."
"Here," Bailey gave her a stress ball in the shape of a shark. "For good luck."
Bailey smacked her shoulder in a friendly way and Zach kissed her forehead.
"I love you and I'll see you later."
Now, Clara was smiling very widely as she walked to class. She was walking on clouds.
Clara's final exam was online. She had two hours. Clara finished it in 55 minutes and spent the next ten checking over every single answer.
Clara submitted the test and closed her Chromebook. She then proceeded to put her head down and pass out unconscious.
She was woken up by someone shaking her shoulder.
"Clara, the bell has rang for class change," her teacher told her.
"Crap!" She started gathering her things. Clara was the last one in the class by the time she reached the door.
"Hey, Clara?"
"Yes, Mister Walburn?"
"You made a 92 on your exam."
"I- what? Holy crap."
She then texted her dad that she was done and went to the next class to wait. She attacked Dylan by jumping on his back.
"Pipsqueak!"
"I passed!" Clara yelled. "I passed! I passed! I passed!"
Dylan and Clara were jumping up and down. "I passed, too!"
"What's you make on your math exam?" Clara asked.
"102! I got bonus points! How bout you?"
"92!"
Dylan then hugged Clara to his chest.
"I'm proud of you, Pipsqueak."
"I'm proud of you, too, Moose."
Freddie came to pick her up twenty minutes later. She saluted Dylan and then ran down the hallway.
She threw herself at Freddie.
"Hey!" Freddie laughed. "I'm assuming it went well?"
"Yes! I got a 92!"
Freddie high-fived Clara and then put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's go celebrate with some ice cream."
"Okay, Doctor Freddie."
Freddie just sighed and shook his head as they walked out of the school.