**Chapter 5: The Exam Board**
A week went by... Ayça got so bored she was practically climbing the walls for some action. She was seriously down in the dumps, hoping for something different to happen. But it was a no-go...
Everything about this school was super good for her. The only thing her new friends cared about was hitting the books. She thought she could finally chat with someone after the teacher left the classroom, but all they did was solve problems or talk about the lesson.
Only Mustafa was different. He was a nice guy but not exactly Mr. Fun. He wasn’t into this whole study situation either. Instead of protesting like Ayça, he just sat down and got on with it.
He complained so much, didn’t agree with the system, but still went along with it. Ayça liked to hang out with Tolga, but she hardly ever saw him.
Sometimes he wouldn’t show up for classes. Rumor had it he was in the teacher's lounge getting things explained again. The principal was almost giving him private lessons. So, Ayça was hoping to get some help from Murat, who sat next to her.
At least when they were together during lunch breaks and meal times, they laughed a lot. But that was about all the time Murat had for her.
Ayça didn’t have any friends in her old school, but she wasn’t bored. She could mess with someone, and if she shoved them, it would instantly start a fight, turning the corridor into chaos. But here, even if you hit someone, no one had time for a fight because it would affect their studies.
Home wasn’t any different. Her grandma was busy with her aunt's wedding. So, she didn’t even have time to scold her. Most of the time, Ayça spent at home watching series or doing makeup out of boredom and taking pics for social media.
As she entered the school holding her bag tightly, Mustafa came up to her.
"The mock exam results are out."
Ayça felt even more bummed, exhaling sharply. "That was just yesterday." She wasn’t pleased about them being announced within a week since it would also determine which study group she’d be in. And she still hadn’t found a way out of this mess.
Mustafa seemed uninterested in the situation. "If you want, they’re on the notice board."
Ayça looked at him. "Haven’t you checked?" She didn’t even know what the notice board was.
Mustafa, hands in pockets, shook his head. "I don’t check. I’m against the whole idea."
Ayça got more curious. She wanted to ask what stance he was against but realized Mustafa was the type to oppose just about everything.
"Are you like the school's rebel or something?"
Mustafa didn’t mind being laughed at. Confident he was right, he pointed towards the eastern part of the school.
"Go and see for yourself."
Confused, Ayça looked in the direction he pointed. Several students were also heading there in a hurry.
She handed her bag to Mustafa, asking him to take it to the classroom. She was going to check out this board thingy. She guessed the exams were publicly posted. Mustafa opposed the idea.
In her previous school, some teachers would post exam scores on the board, listing students' names alongside their grades.
When Ayça reached where the students gathered, she saw everyone facing the wall, discussing their grades. Some were on the verge of tears, a guy punched the wall in frustration.
Ayça found these reactions over the top and pushed through to the front. What she saw was not what she expected.
The exam results were posted in order of points, with arrows showing whether you moved up or down from the last ranking. Notices about the study groups were also pinned there.
She immediately spotted a notice saying she was in Study Group 7, alongside names of students moving between groups.
Those names were students whose ranks changed because they didn’t score well on the mock exam. Their classes weren’t going well. Staying in the same group meant they’d drag the others down, so they were moved to a lower group. Now, they’d have to study with students from a new group after school.
Ayça looked at the bottom of the list, snorting. She had the lowest score, but it wasn’t the grade that upset her. She heard the complaints of students behind her.
A group of girls didn’t hesitate to gossip. One pointed at her, wondering aloud,
"Why is she in 12-1? That's for the hard workers."
Another laughed.
"12 - 1, huh? Looks like they take the top losers, too."
Boys joined in the gossip from a distance.
"She transferred mid-year. Must have a connection."
Another shouted,
"Who knows who her uncle is? How else did she jump to the top from the bottom?"
A boy, upset about his own scores, wanted to take it out on her.
"Why do we even try!? Relatives of the influential will come and all our efforts will be for nothing."
Ayça clenched the hem of her skirt. What they were saying was true. She got in through connections. Her Uncle Göktuğ worked in the education sector and her police dad's influence had a hand in it. Knowing they were right made her even angrier.
As if Ayça wanted all this. No, she didn’t. Why should she be blamed? Her dad, Uncle Göktuğ, and even the principal who enforced this ranking system were at fault.
What really got to Ayça was the exam board itself. The way results and rankings were publicly displayed... The study groups being formed based on these rankings.
There was an obvious competition. Now Ayça was part of it, without her consent, which made her furious. She blamed her dad for making this decision for her and the principal for turning this school into a race track.
When Tolga saw others blaming Ayça, he wanted to approach her. He was top of the rankings and thought it unwise to associate with the lowest-ranked girl. He hesitated and stayed back. But Murat didn’t think twice and went to her, checking if she was okay with a look.
Ayça turned around, everyone was staring at her. She wanted to vent her anger immediately. She was mad at being a victim of the ranking and at all the students enjoying the comfort of high rankings.
"Posting our grades like this is ridiculous! Are you guys okay with this?"
No one expected her to react like this. They thought she’d be upset about them talking behind her back. Instead, she went straight for the exam board.
Tolga was glad he didn’t approach her. He leaned against the window, watching.
"What now, Apocalypse Pony?"
Ayça turned to him, pointing at the wall, demanding answers. "Why do we even have this ranking and board?"
Murat, taking a deep breath, realized why Tolga hadn’t approached Ayça. Because Apocalypse Pony was stirring up trouble.
He tried to stop her by grabbing her arm, "What's the big deal, Ayça?" He wanted her to question and understand. This was how things were, and they weren’t going to change.
She should accept it...
"Don’t you see, Murat? It's wrong to force us into things we don't want!"
Rabiya stepped forward, arms crossed, laughing at her. "What are you talking
about?"
Ayça hoped to find someone who agreed with her.
"Our grades are personal. It's wrong and bad to display them publicly like this."
Rabiya laughed out loud, emphasizing her point,
"Bad?"
Ayça realized Rabiya wasn’t taking her seriously. She looked around; if a few people agreed with her, maybe she could change the situation.
"Plus, we’re being forced into a competition we didn’t ask for. It’s like they’ve set up a horse race. Sorry, but I’m not okay with this."
Tolga stood up straight. "Then go tell that to the Principal. What’s it to us?" He started to walk away.
The principal, who had been listening from afar, made his presence known with his booming voice.
"I’m listening, Ayça."
She was furious. She knew Ayça would cause trouble from the start but didn’t want to give up without giving her a chance. He also knew other students wouldn’t react like Ayça. Maybe a few students upset with their low grades wanted to vent, like Ayça.
The principal never underestimated the power of individual snowflakes, because together, they could become an avalanche. Ayça was one snowflake, and confronting her in front of everyone would prevent potential avalanches.
The students made way for the principal and Ayça. Some thought Ayça was just seeking attention and would quiet down in front of the principal. But Ayça was out of patience potions.
Without waiting for the principal, Ayça walked up to him, surprising her friends with her boldness. She pointed at the board.
"I think this is wrong, Mr. Akif. You can't share our grades without our permission."
The principal didn’t frown or raise his voice. He was calm.
"If you’re upset about low grades, you’ll improve with the study group. Don’t worry."
Ayça wasn’t after that. She couldn’t convince anyone now. The principal’s words made everyone think the uproar was about her grades.
It wasn’t about the grades for Ayça; she never cared about them. She was mischievous and lazy. But now, she was part of the grading and study group system, whether she liked it or not...
That made her furious. She didn’t hide her feelings, confronting the principal with eyes blazing with rage.
"I don’t want to be in the study group either. It’s about you doing things we don’t agree with."
The principal clicked his tongue a few times, staying remarkably calm, which made Ayça even more furious.
"We can’t change everything based on what you want, my dear. Do the rest of you feel the same?"
Addressing her as "my dear" and asking the others gently only made Ayça look worse.
The students didn’t respond in unison, but their silence was answer enough.
"No, Mr. Principal."
Ayça struggled not to yell, turning to the others. She was livid, unable to understand why they would reject her stance, especially since it seemed wrong even to her. Ayça didn’t care about grades. But she had seen everyone else working hard and caring in just one week.
The board didn’t showcase their efforts; it displayed their failures in the rankings. How could they not complain?
"How can you say no? Are you really okay with this ranking?"
Tolga continued walking, eager to get back to studying. Ayça was holding everyone back with her complaints. As he walked, he answered her.
"Yes, Apocalypse Pony. We’re not doing this because Mr. Akif forced us. We agree with Mr. Akif’s methods. It’s going to be the same in the real exams."
Ayça watched Tolga walk away, speechless. The principal left with him. The remaining students murmured,
"She’s just doing this because she got the lowest grade."
Frustrated, her steps were heavy, causing her feet to hurt as she walked. But she ignored it, entered the classroom, and grabbed her bag.
Mustafa, noticing her return, looked up from his book.
"Did you see the rankings? Is that why you’re upset?"
Ayça, not caring who heard, shouted as she put on her backpack,
"It’s not the Principal; it’s all the students who are dumb!"
Murat settled in his place behind her. "You can’t blame anyone for being passionate about their studies. That’s what schools are for."
Ayça adjusted her backpack with a sharp movement. "Well, Murat, you can’t look down on me for not studying then!"
The house was filled with the aroma of food and the sweet excitement of guests. Naime Sultan was on good terms with the in-laws. They were a decent family from the locals.
They gathered as nuclear families around a table laden with delicious dishes. Naime, struggling to read the text on her phone, tried to call Ayça but got no response.
She couldn’t leave the house with guests over. So, she asked Tolga for a favor.
"Tolga, dear, could you fetch Apocalypse Pony for me?"
Tolga’s mother looked around curiously. She had not seen the quirky girl since her arrival.
"Really, where is your granddaughter?"
Naime settled back in her seat, worrying about Ayça but couldn’t help criticizing her.
"She’s been climbing trees for the past two days. She’s going to fall and hurt herself, bringing trouble upon us."
Feride was saddened by her mother speaking so of Ayça, especially in front of others. She gently reproached her,
"Mother. She’s still a child. She must be missing her home."
Tolga, standing up to call her, said, "I bet she’s up to no good." His comment was fine, but Naime Sultan would get angry if anyone else spoke ill of her granddaughter.
But she didn’t say anything. Feride directed him to the big tree on the west side of the pond. Ayça would be there...
Neither fitting in at school nor feeling cared for at home, Ayça found solace this way. Sometimes she watched the sunset, other times the stars.
She had no friends, couldn’t enjoy herself. She missed her home, her dad, and Uncle Göktuğ... Even if no one else was there, they were. When she came home from school, she had a house where she felt comfortable and belonged. But it wasn’t the same here. No one cared about her.
As a cold wind blew, she pulled the sleeves of her cardigan over her hands. She looked at the stars, far away yet together, unlike Ayça...
She never felt part of a group. Maybe her being different was why she acted so differently. She refused to be just another star in the vast sky; even if she was as changeable as the moon, she believed she was just as special.
When Tolga came and saw her on the thick branch, he watched for a while. Everyone eventually bows to the system. Rebels, like splinters, always stick out and are removed before they cause more trouble.
He made his presence known. Ayça, after a brief glance, dangled her legs down. Tolga thought she was pondering over their school situation.
"If you’re trying to figure out how to solve this..."
Ayça cut him off. The fierce look in her eyes suggested she’d tread more carefully this time, not exploding in anger.
"Solving problems isn’t my thing. I
’m here to cause them. I’ll have so much fun that they’ll withdraw from their precious races voluntarily."
Tolga was confused, but he feared the worst. She was definitely going to cause a distraction and sabotage their studies.
"You’re harming us all right now. You can’t lead those who want to study astray."
Looking down at him, Ayça smirked.
"I’m not forcing anyone. I’m just being myself."
Calculating where to jump, Tolga muttered, "Apocalypse Pony, indeed."
Ayça leaped from the branch, landing gracefully. When she straightened up and faced Tolga, she raised an eyebrow and laughed.
"Exactly." Her smile didn’t fade. Because even if the world turned into a battlefield, she’d be the last one smiling.