Their Celebration, My Goodbye

Synopsis

The day we held a celebration for my younger sister, my parents put me in charge of greeting guests at the door and taking their gifts. My mom told me, "Your grades aren't good enough to get you into a decent college. You'll be awkward sitting in there, so go greet the guests." My brother frowned. "Nina worked hard for this offer. Nothing can go wrong with her celebration. "If anyone starts asking about your grades, you'll only bring down the mood." My fiancé, Jack Jones, said flatly, "Zoe, this is a big day for Nina. Don't make a fuss." I hugged my backpack a little tighter, swallowing the bitterness rising inside me. Wasn't I already doing everything they wanted? When I ranked first in my middle school, Nina was so devastated that she threatened to end her life. My entire family accused me of deliberately showing off. After that, I stopped letting myself stand out. I learned exactly how low I needed to keep my grades down. For six years, I put up with their judgment and made sure I stayed at the bottom of the class. The SAT was my one chance to prove what I could really do. As I watched them gather around Nina with happy smiles, the news that I had been accepted to the National Defense Institute caught in my throat. Since they were so ashamed of me, there was no reason to tell them that I would be heading off to college in three days.