"Phoebe! Are you still asleep?  And at this time!? Have you forgotten what day it is?" Mom shouted as she forced the door open followed by a loud bang on the floor. 

"Uhh, I...I wasn't asleep," I quickly replied as I slowly picked myself up from the dusty floor.My books were all over the place and my long black curly hair that was all tangled up covered my face.

"Who do you think you are fooling with those eyes?"she rumbled her face stern as ever. "Hurry up or you are gonna miss your exams," she added as she walked away leaving my door wide open.

"Where does she even get that energy from in the morning," I growled as I grabbed my spectacles from my desk. I had pulled an all nighter studying and when I was just about to get some sleep, mom decided to butt in. I sighed as I picked up my bag and quickly brushed my hair. I shifted my glance to the alarm clock on my desk wondering why it didn't ring. I hated to admit it but mom was right. If I didn't quicken my pace, I would arrive late for the exam. What a drag!

My school being near,only took me twenty minutes to get there. I slowed my pace as thoughts of the exam imbued my mind. "This was gonna be it," I sighed,"our final exams." The anxiety that was creeping up on me was unbearable.

Even with the joy of finally being done with school, I couldn't escape the feeling of anxiety. There were so many expectations I had to reach and if I failed to reach them then, what would become of me? There was no doubt that I was afraid of failure the most.

Just the thought of failing when you've put in your all, always crippled me. "It's going to be alright. I won't allow myself to fail, not today," I mumbled to myself as I clenched my fist tightly. Deep down, I knew those were just but mere words, the test results were what counted the most. Just then, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. It was my friend Alvina. 

"Hey I've been calling you for the past five minutes but you haven't responded," she said, putting on a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, I just... zoned out a little bit," I said as I scratched my forehead.

"Well if there is anything bothering you,know that I will always be here for you," she smiled brightly and held my hand.

Alvina was always a sensational person. She found her way into people's hearts easily. I mean with her stunning looks and her long black hair that glistened under the sun, she definitely would steal anyone's heart. Not forgetting how she always wore a bright smile even in difficult situations.

Growing up, I had a traumatizing childhood but she had always been there for me. She was more than just a best friend, she was like a sister to me. Although we had different backgrounds, it didn't ever bother us. Alvina had everything growing up but I didn't, so I knew I always had to work my way through life and she was always there encouraging me.

I smiled as I looked at the clock in the school hallway. It was almost time for the examination to begin. “Hey, break a leg,” she said with a broad smile as she ran across the hallway to her exam room. I smiled back feeling more confident.

      *************

I sat outside our house gazing at the beautiful setting sun. The sky was ablaze with the fiery glow of the setting sun on the horizon. The dreadful exams were finally over and I couldn't help but feel at peace at the moment. I knew that it wasn't really over until it was over but I still felt better now. My time in school had been demoralizing and each day felt like a nightmare on constant replay. No matter how much I tried, I still felt like I was stuck in a time loop. Unfortunately, being a bright student never stopped me from loathing school.

Unlike me, Alvie really liked school. I mean why wouldn't she when everyone liked her. She was really popular and everyone respected her. I used to think that our personalities were the same, until we joined the same high school. She was bold, always standing up her ground against others and she knew how to hold up a conversation with anybody. But I, on the other hand, always sat at the corner and never spoke to anyone unless spoken to. "Now that I think about it, I was such a loser but somehow we were still besties,” I giggled at that thought, "I guess unlike terms really do attract." I was glad that I was finally closing that chapter of my life and I would never have to deal with hectic highschool life again.

By now the sun had already set and darkness was slowly starting to creep in. I gazed up at the sky with wonder. Most skies were the darkest of grays but tonight's sky was just pure black. It was as if someone had shut off the moon and the stars. “It's definitely going to be a long dark night,” I mumbled as I slowly stood up.

As I turned to go back home, I suddenly remembered a quote that stated, "A dark night is often a bridge to a brighter tomorrow." I glared at the sky again almost as if staring through a blank space. 

Maybe, just maybe it was an assurance of a brighter tomorrow.