"Ashley, wake up!"

"Huh?" I opened my eyes and pushed myself up. The morning sun spilled through the window on the far side of the room, making the pink wallpaper look magical. I turned and looked at the little clock on the bedside table. It was already 6am.

"Shit!" I jumped out of bed and rushed out into the hallway where my brother was waiting with a smirk on his face.

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?!" I asked, rushing into the bathroom, "Sorry I woke you up so late, princess," I heard him call after me. Urg. He's such an annoying little brat. Althoug Andrew and me are twins, I was born a minute earlier, making me the elder and therefore smarter one of us.

...

40 minutes later, I was out the door, school uniform on, and pink hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Tsk, look at the time, now we'll all be late," Andrew snapped, his light brown hair neatly comed back. "It's a miracle you haven't been expelled already."

"Stop bickering and get in the van," Noah, our step dad shouted. We crawled into the back seat and buckled up. Mia and Micah were already in their seats, as expected.

"What took so long?" Mia asked, fixing her amber hair in a little hand-held mirror. Although Mia, Micah, and Andrew got along quite well for half siblings , I never got along with any of them. Not even my biological brother.

"This sleepy head decided she'd rather sleep in than go to school on the most important day of the year, of course," Andrew replied, earning a earning a grin from Micah.

"Oh no, and don't tell me you so rudely awakened our little sleeping beauty, did you? You should treat her highnesses with respect before she chops off your head," Micah teased. Running a hand through his short brown hair.

"Sigh, don't you three have anything better to do?" I asked looking out the window.

It's been like this as long as I could remember. Our mom divorced our dad when we were only 2 though I can't blame her. He was an awful man, never home and always hot tempered. When she learned he was cheating on her it was the final straw. She married our step dad, Noah, soon after and had 2 kids, Mia and Micah. Though he never cared for me much he was leaps and bounds better than my real dad.

"Alright, " he called, "we're here," Vallen middle high. It's the most important school in the kingdom. It decides whether a student is good enough to qualify for a hero school, almost guaranteeing their future. After all everyone loves heroes.

Although Mia and Micah were 2 years younger than us, we were in the same year because Andrew and I enrolled later than usual. Today we get the test results, the most important day of our lives. It will determine the rest of our lives.

By the time we got to class my hands were sweaty and iwas shaking. I don't know why I was so nervous. I've worked harder that anyone for this. I barely even slept in the months leading up to the finals because i was so busy studying.

We got to our respective seats with Mia, Micah, and Andrew sitting together at the front, and me sitting in the back at the opposite side of the classroom. It was better this way and i knew it, yet i couldn't help feeling a little sad sometimes.

The professor walked into the class and it was suddenly so quiet. He started handing out our report cards one by one, painfully slowly. We weren't allowed to look at them until he allowed it. Those were the rules.

He handed me mine and i felt like my heart would burst. He gave out all the report cards. He slowly walked back towards the front of the class and took his seat before speaking, "You may open them,"

One by one we all opened them. I slowy opened mine and carefully looked at its contents. One by one my classmates all got up and started celebrating. I could see my siblings hugging each other and crying out in joy, yet i couldn't bring myself to get up and go join them. As i matter of fact, how could i ever face them again?

I had failed.

It felt as if the world were suddenly in slow motion. Nothing felt real anymore. My body felt stiff and my chest was slowly being constricted. I had failed. It was written on the very top of the page in bright red ink. Fail.

I read through the rest of the contents of the report. I had passed all the written exams, but failed almost all the physical tests. My power was too weak. I had inherented a small amount of lightning magic from my mom, while Andrew had inherented telekinesis through our dad. Mia and Micah both had their dads fire magic, which was quite strong.

But i had failed.

....

The next part was absolute torture. My mom came to pick us up with Noah and she looked so beautiful. Her brown hair was in a bun and she was wearing a beautiful green dress. One by one they all told her they passed, and i told her i failed. She looked sad snd disappointed but she hugged me anyway.

"That's okay sweetheart, " she replied, "there are lots of other things you could do. You could be a police officer or a doctor or even an accountant like me," ever since she divorced my dad we haven't been very close. She always busy with work or already has plans with my younger siblings.

"See, i told you there was no way that bitch would pass," Micah wipered to Mia and Andrew behind my back. I dont think he meant for me to hear it, but it hurt nonetheless. "She really thought she could pass with that weak magic of hers," Andrew replied.

Mom broke away and went off to go congratulate my siblings. Noah looked pissed but he didn't say anything. How could he not be mad? He was one of the top 50 heroes. What would others say when they found out he couldn't even raise a child right?

The car ride back felt like an eternity. They were all busy discussing which hero high to go to the whole trip. Noah and Andrew also seemed to be getting closer. I put on my headphones and looked out the window the whole ride home.