Chapter Thirteen
Amelia's POV
The morning we returned from the three-week vacation, the campus buzzed with new energy. Students streamed through the gates dragging boxes and bags, chattering about holidays, crushes, and rumors about the Quiz Team results.
Doja and I walked together, her laughter echoing across the path as we neared the dorms.
"Girl, I swear you probably spent your whole vacation buried in textbooks," she teased, flipping her braids over her shoulder.
"Only part of it," I said, smiling. "The rest I spent praying I'd make it into the team."
"Praying?" She rolled her eyes playfully. "While some of us were praying to survive family drama and boring church camps."
I chuckled. "Hey, I needed all the help I could get."
But truthfully, that wasn't all I'd done. Every night before bed, I'd texted Kamen. Our chats had grown longer and softer—filled with late-night musings about dreams, faith, and sometimes silence that felt like a language of its own. When he'd asked, near the end of the break, if I would "pray about something," I'd known what he meant. I wasn't ready to give an answer yet, but it made my heart flutter every time I thought about it.
Back in class, the desks looked smaller than I remembered. The sunlight poured through the window, dust motes swirling in the golden light. I placed my bag on the second-row seat—the one Kamen and I had claimed as "ours." He arrived not long after, quiet as always, but the small smile he gave me spoke volumes.
"You kept the seat," he said softly.
"Of course," I replied. "We made a deal."
Before I could say more, the intercom crackled.
"Attention students, this is a special announcement from the Academic Board. The final results of the Quiz Team Trials are now posted on the main noticeboard."
Instantly, the class erupted. Chairs scraped. Feet pounded the floors. Everyone rushed for the hallway. My heart thudded so hard I could feel it in my throat.
At the noticeboard, the crowd was thick—students pressing close, some already screaming, others whispering prayers. Doja tugged me forward until we found our spot on the list.
There it was.
Amelia Reynolds — PASSED (Score: Excellent).
My breath caught. "I did it," I whispered.
Doja squealed, pulling me into a hug. "You did more than it, you nailed it!"
And just above my name—Kamen Abasi — PASSED (Outstanding).
Our eyes met across the crowd, and for a brief moment, everything else disappeared. His lips curved into the faintest smile, and I felt warmth rush through me.
But then the principal's voice boomed again over the speakers:
"Please note: due to the competitive nature of the trials, only the top few students from each department will advance to represent Triple H College. The official team list will be displayed below the main results."
The crowd surged again. I swallowed hard and leaned forward, scanning the new page.
Selected Team Members:
Kamen Abasi — Science Department
Hilda Owusu — Science Department
Peter Davi — Business
Michelle Opoku — Arts
…
My fingers froze halfway down the page. My name wasn't there.
I read the list again. Then again. It wasn't a mistake.
I'd passed. I'd prayed. I'd worked harder than I ever had before.
But somehow… I wasn't chosen.
My chest felt hollow. Doja's laughter faded beside me. "Amelia," she said gently, "maybe it's an error—maybe they'll fix it—"
I shook my head, forcing a smile that didn't feel real. "No. It's fine. It's okay."
But it wasn't.
Hilda turned, eyes shining with joy. "Amelia! You saw? We both passed!"
I smiled faintly. "I saw."
Then she looked back and realized I wasn't on the team list. Her smile faltered. "Wait—what? That can't be right. You did better than me!"
I just shrugged. "Guess they saw something I didn't."
The disappointment hit harder later, when the noise of the crowd faded. I sat alone under the big oak tree, the same place Kamen had once helped me understand Physics equations. The wind rustled the leaves like soft whispers, and I bowed my head.
"Lord," I whispered, "I don't understand why You'd let me get this close just to fall short. But… if this is how You shape me, then I'll trust You through it."
I felt tears sting my eyes, but I didn't wipe them away.
Footsteps approached softly behind me.
"I thought I'd find you here," came Kamen's voice.
He dropped his bag and sat beside me. The silence stretched before he finally said, "You should've been on that list. Everyone knows it."
I smiled weakly. "Maybe it just wasn't meant for me."
He frowned, looking away. "That doesn't make it fair."
For a long time, neither of us spoke. Then, in a small voice, I said, "Congratulations, though. You earned it."
He turned to me, his eyes dark with something I couldn't quite name. "It doesn't feel right without you there."
And in that moment, I realized how complicated it all was—how pride and pain could sit side by side in one heart.
I leaned back against the tree and whispered, half to him, half to myself, "Maybe some wins aren't supposed to be ours."
He looked at me, then said quietly, "Maybe. But that doesn't make you any less brilliant."
And for the first time that day, I almost believed it.