The clock on the screen showed 12:58 PM.
Two minutes left.
Artic sat quietly, the old family computer humming in front of him. His mom stood behind with a bowl of cut fruit. His older sister leaned on the doorway, arms crossed, phone in hand.
Result day.
He could feel his heartbeat in his neck. His palms were a little sweaty. His mom placed the fruit on the desk, brushing his shoulder softly.
"Don't worry. Whatever happens, just click."
1:00 PM.
The website refreshed. Artic typed his roll number slowly.
He pressed Enter.
His result loaded.
Maths – C2
Biology – C1
Science – B2
Social Studies – A2
English – A1
He quickly added it all in his head.
75%. Average. But he passed.
His mom let out a breath. "Oof, thank God you passed. Now only the entrance remains."
His sister laughed. "Wait, how did you even pass? Did you cheat or something?"
"Hey," his mom tapped her lightly. "Don't tease your brother. He did well."
Artic smiled a little. Just a little. He wasn't proud. But at least, it was over.
---
Life felt quiet after that.
The next day, his mom made his favorite breakfast—eggs with butter toast and cold coffee. His sister helped him clean his room, even if she complained the whole time. His dad, away for work, called and said, "Good job, son. Keep it up for the entrance."
It wasn't anything grand. But it was warm.
My family always cared, Artic thought. Even when he didn't say much.
They packed his lunch. Checked in. Sat with him for movies.
His sister even offered to help with entrance prep—though she barely remembered anything from her school days.
---
There were three months until the entrance exam.
Plenty of time. Artic didn't feel the rush.
He opened his group chat:
"Squad 💀🔥"
---
Mason: Yo who's all giving the state law entrance?
Blake: Me, duh. Everyone is. That college is sick.
Emily: I think I'll try for it. It's close to home.
Liam: Artic? You joining or nah
Blake: lol watch him do some random arts degree 💀
Mason: 💀💀💀
---
Artic looked at the messages.
He didn't care much about law. But if everyone was going, maybe he should too.
The thought came out of nowhere, but it stuck.
Law doesn't sound that bad… maybe it's better than being alone in some random course.
That night, at dinner, he said it.
"I think I want to try for the law entrance."
His mom raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
His sister blinked. "Wait, seriously? Since when?"
"I mean… all my friends are doing it," he mumbled.
His mom didn't argue. She just nodded. "Alright. If that's what you want, we'll support you. We can buy the entrance prep books this weekend."
His sister looked at him with a strange expression, half proud, half confused. "Just don't mess it up, alright?"
"I won't," he said.
---
Weeks passed.
Artic studied… a bit. Enough to say he was preparing.
He still played games. He still scrolled through Emily's posts, liking them from time to time.
But something was changing. Emily started replying more.
One day, she even messaged first:
"You were right, that movie was good 😅"
After that, chats became more regular. Light, easy. Friendly.
Sometimes she'd send notes. Sometimes just random memes.
For the first time in a while, Artic felt like maybe he was part of something.
And the law entrance?
I'll pass easily, he thought.
..
Artic sat in the front seat of the car, fingers nervously tapping on his jeans. His dad drove with one hand on the wheel, the other occasionally adjusting the AC vents. The sky was pale and washed out, like the world itself hadn't woken up yet. It was just past 7:00 a.m. The air outside the car was humid, but the cool breeze from the AC made the ride feel like a strange bubble—safe, but temporary.
His exam center was almost forty kilometers away.
"You sure you've packed everything?" his dad asked gently.
"Yeah," Artic replied, though he checked again—hall ticket, pens, ID, water bottle. His bag felt heavier than usual. Not because of what was inside, but because of what it meant.
"You nervous?"
Artic looked out the window. The streets were still quiet, just a few shops opening. A milkman riding past on his bicycle. A dog crossing the road without a care.
"A little," he admitted. "I've never been this far alone."
His dad smiled softly. "Well, you're not alone today."
That line hit deeper than it should've. Artic glanced at him. His dad wasn't the kind to talk much, but when he did, it always landed in the heart.
They rode in silence for a few more minutes.
"After the exam," his dad said, "we'll stop by that old bakery. The one with the chocolate rolls you used to love."
Artic smiled faintly. "Yeah, I remember."