I Took My Noble Bestie's Golden Ticket

On the day the special admissions list was announced, Zoey Shenton stood in the center of the assembly room.

Our principal, Josiah Manson, had just finished announcing her name, and the applause had not yet died down when she rose to her feet.

"Mr. Manson, Ms. Williams, I'd like to give up this spot," she said.

The assembly room fell silent. Our homeroom teacher, Elena Williams, looked serious. She said, "Zoey, just sit down first. This is no laughing matter."

Yet, Zoey didn't listen to Ms. Williams. She wore a faded school uniform jacket, and her long hair was in a low ponytail.

Her expression was earnest as she replied, "I'm not joking around. Austin University is something countless students dream of attending. I know how valuable this opportunity is. But I can't accept it."

Harper Collins, the head of academic affairs, was stunned. She asked, "Why?"

Zoey looked down. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for everyone to hear. "I didn't work hard for all these years just to avoid the college entrance exam. The exam is meant to be fair. It's a test every student should take.

"If I run away just because I've been given a special admission spot, my years of hard work would go to waste. What about everyone else who's still studying tirelessly at night?"

Her eyes turned red at this point. She continued, "Just because I have good grades doesn't mean I can take special privileges for granted."

Some teachers in the room sighed, visibly moved. The student representatives' expressions also shifted from shock to admiration.

However, I knew something they didn't.

The night before, she had been tossing and turning in her dorm bed, clutching Austin University's admissions brochure. Even after the lights were turned off, she was still reading it with her phone flashlight.

She whispered to me, "Nina, if I get into Austin University, does that mean I'll be able to work on lab projects right away? I heard students in the program can join research teams in their sophomore year. If a supervisor takes a liking to me, I might even be able to publish a paper before I graduate."

Her eyes had lit up with excitement. Yet today, she was saying she didn't want to enjoy such a privilege.

I sat in the corner, slowly tightening my grip on my pen.

Mr. Manson frowned and said, "Zoey, the school nominated you for this spot based on your overall academic performance over the past high school years, your achievements in competitions, and the results of your interview.

"It isn't some unfair privilege. Austin University has already given us a formal response. Just sign the confirmation form, and you'll be admitted early."

Zoey shook her head gently and said, "Mr. Manson, I appreciate your good intentions. But I still want to take the college entrance exam. I want to join Austin University with my own scores, fair and square."

Fair and square, she said?

As she said those words, she casually looked over at me.

I suddenly remembered the city team selection for last month's competition. She and I had been separated by just one point.

After the competition, she hugged me and said, "Nina, you're actually more suited to researching than I am. You just get nervous too easily."

However, the next day, in the school's recommendation document, she took credit for the modeling work I had helped complete.

I went to confront her, but she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Aren't we best friends? Why are you being so particular about this?"

Later, she made the city team, and I became her substitute. She won the gold medal, while I could only applaud for her from below the stage.

Even this time, the special admission spot went to her.