2 Chapter 2. Not Today Satan

Point of view: Emara Stone

Today, I will pray.

I join both my hands and close my eyes as I pray "Dear Lord, lovely dear Lord. Hear me out for god's sake. Please let me clear this exam and I will sincerely study for the next one."

Amen.

Today nothing can go wrong. I made a deal with God. I will pass.

After reaching twelve minutes late in the exam and almost catching everybody's attention including the gardeners from the outside of the window, with heavy breaths I get settled on my desk.

My mind again gives me a lecture on being punctual, but I focus on the questions on my paper. I'll mind you later. Though I missed a few minutes, I will cover it up soon. God is with me. I will pass.

I read the first question, but it feels foreign to me. Maybe it's from the chapter that I left. I don't let negativity get my mood so I continue reading the next question.

Wait a minute! This question is out of the book. Hell, it's out of syllabus.

I'm pretty sure AND gate and OR gate circuits were not in the syllabus of Java.

I can feel my blood pressure increasing as I read the whole question paper to see if I can get an easy one. I look around and see other students writing dedicatedly and even asking for an extra supplementary. What the hell!

I get into an alarm state as I re-read the question paper. Not even a single program has been asked which is hella weird. Were the professors drunk while making this paper?

Then my focus gets on top of the paper.

My eye sockets widen enough for my eyeballs to fall out. My freshly lip-glossed mouth hung open wide in extreme shock and spine-tingling horror. I had to pick it up off the cement floor of the exam hall as I see the subject's name.

Subject: Digital Circuits.

Fuck!

FUCK!

F U C K!

Shit! How can I be so careless? I thought it was Java's paper today. I can't lose hope now. God is with me. I will pass.

I was determined to fill all the pages and now I can't give up. I have to pass anyhow.

I read the questions again. My mind gets a virtual image of how AND gate looks like and the circuit. I open my bag to look for a pen. I move my hand inside the bag to feel any long, thin, pointed stick but I felt nothing.

Wait… Did I pack my bag when I was running late?

Fuck.

Not Today Satan.

. . .

After the exam, I give the pen and pencil back to the boy sitting on my right. "How was your paper, Emara?" His eyes are shimmering like a decorated Christmas tree.

I don't know if I'll even score in a single digit.

"Just like last year." I smile and leave the room, not asking the same question in return. Of course, his exam would have gone better. He is the topper after all.

I should have thanked him for the pen. But I'm not in a good mood.

After the surprise exam, I am not so sure that I will pass but one thing I am definitely sure of is that I will fail.

The first thing I do after reaching home is to throw my bag on the couch and check the exam timetable.

Tomorrow is the Java exam.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Why god why?

I can't read that evil labyrinth again for another night. I lie down on the floor spreading my hands as I feel tired like I build Rome in one day.

I need a Plan B. This graduation thing isn't happening anytime soon. I don't even have a good figure to join a strip club, how can I make money to be independent?

I wonder what talents I have…

I am flawless with tongue twisters.

I can twist my jaw to get more food in my mouth.

I can make my eyebrows dance.

I can spin pens extremely fast.

I am fluent in profanities.

Errrh... I am a useless sack of potatoes. I have no boyfriend or a millionaire sugar daddy. Ethan is probably enjoying his Europe vacation and here I am stuck in the same room just like the last year.

My brother scored A1 grade in his finals and he has so many extracurricular activities certificates that Google and Microsoft might knock his door anytime to work for them.

And suddenly the wall seems interesting.

After staring at the wall for five minutes, I take out my phone and search for job vacancies for freshers in multinational companies.

A sly smirk appears on my face as I plan for my freedom and income. If God is not with me, I am glad Satan is.

He-He Ha-Ha Hey-Hey.