My Family Celebrates When I Flunk the Exams

I froze at the corner of the hallway, a glass of water in my hand.

Then, my mom Lillian Montgomery's voice came from the room. It was soft and tender in a way I had never heard in all 18 years of my life. "Don't worry. She won't find out. And even if she does, what's she going to do about it?"

At that, my dad, Nicholas Clark, laughed.

"Exactly. You two look identical. Who's going to know the difference? Besides, we've raised her all these years. What's wrong with letting you take her score?"

My younger sister, Olivia Clark, spoke up. There was a hint of unease in her voice as she asked, "Mom, what if she hears us?"

"That nerd is probably still in her room going over every answer. You know how she is. She'll check them over and over until she's satisfied. She wouldn't even think to pay attention to what we're saying."

Mom scoffed and added, "And even if she did hear us, what could she possibly do?"

"Your mother and I have already taken care of everything," Dad chimed in. "We've got someone lined up. As soon as the acceptance letter comes in, we'll throw a big party for you."

Only then did Olivia relax. Her voice slipped back into its usual sugary, almost childlike tone. "Thanks, Mom and Dad. I knew you loved me best."

I stood rooted to the spot, and my hand began to tremble. I couldn't believe what I had just heard.

Just a few hours earlier, when my SAT results came out, I checked my score.

550. I was completely stunned.

I had expected to score well over 1450. I'd checked my answers after the test, and my Math and Reading and Writing sections had gone almost perfectly. I'd done consistently well across the board.

I even checked my registration number three times to make sure I hadn't entered it incorrectly. But there it was, plain as day on the screen. "Total score: 550."

I thought there had been a glitch, so I checked again. But it was still 550.

I stumbled out of my room and found my parents watching TV in the living room. When I told them my score, shock and sympathy flashed across their faces.

Mom was the first to come over and pull me into a hug. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"It's okay, Victoria. One bad test doesn't matter. Your dad and I will support you when you retake it," she said, her voice softer than I had ever heard it.

Dad came over, too. He patted me on the back and reassured me, "Don't be upset. It's just one test. You can take it again next time."

Olivia peeked out from her room. She didn't say anything, but she looked concerned as well.

At the time, warmth spread through my chest. They had never treated me particularly well, but at least when it mattered most, they were on my side.

That evening, Mom made a huge dinner, with barbecued ribs, lemon-herb butter salmon, grilled shrimp, and my favorite honey-crisp pork tenderloin.

Dad even opened a bottle of red wine and poured me some.

"Come on, Victoria. Let's have a drink. You didn't do well this time, but I'm not blaming you. Next year, you'll get into one of the best schools in the country and show them all."

My eyes stung with unshed tears. I held my glass, my voice thick with emotion as I said, "Mom, Dad, thank you. I promise I'll get into a top school next year. I won't embarrass you."

Beside us, Olivia grinned. "You've got this, Victoria. I believe in you."

The whole evening felt so warm and comforting that it almost seemed unreal. Growing up, this was the kind of treatment I had only ever seen Olivia receive.

After dinner, Mom urged me to get to bed early. She said I'd been working myself too hard lately and needed to catch up on some sleep.

I showered, went back to my room, and tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about my score. No matter how I looked at it, it made no sense.

In all three years of high school, I'd never scored below 1210. There was no way I could have gotten a 550.

I couldn't let it go, so I got out of bed and checked my score again. It was still 550.

I went over the answers online again and again. I knew I'd gotten those questions right.

I spent the next few hours restless in bed. By the time it was past 1:00 am, I was so thirsty that I got up for some water. And that was when I heard them talking.