all tests are over 82%

Selina’s fingers trembled slightly as she sorted the tests into a neat stack, the weight of the bargain settling in her chest. The fluorescent hum of the overhead lights seemed louder now, casting sharp shadows across the students’ expectant faces. She exhaled slowly, then picked up her red grading pen—its familiar weight suddenly foreign in her grip.

One by one, she flipped through the papers, her breath hitching as she checked each score. 83%. 92%. 82%. The numbers blurred together, a relentless march toward inevitability. Jake drummed his fingers on his desk, the rhythmic *tap-tap-tap* syncing with her pulse. When she reached the final test—his—she hesitated.

Selina’s thumb brushed the edge of Jake’s test, the paper slightly crumpled from where he’d shoved it forward with too much confidence. The red ink of her pen hovered over the margin as she traced the final calculations—87%. A bead of sweat slid down her temple. Every single student had passed the threshold.

The classroom air thickened. Jake’s drumming stopped mid-tap. Someone’s chair creaked. Selina set the last test down with deliberate slowness, the *click* of her pen cap sealing shut like a verdict.

"Well?" Jake’s voice was a wire pulled taut.

Selina lifted her gaze.

She swallowed hard, her heart racing in her chest. "Congratulations," she said, her voice lower than she intended. "You all passed with flying colors." The classroom erupted into cheers, the students jumping out of their seats and high-fiving each other. Jake grinned, his confidence growing. "Now, let's see if you're as good at following through," he said, winking at Selina.

The room fell silent once again, the anticipation palpable. Selina felt the weight of their expectations on her shoulders, but she couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement running through her veins.