My feet bounced against the floor as I dashed out of my room, the door swinging wide open behind me, forgotten in my excitement. I didn't even bother to shut it. My heart pounded so loud it drowned out everything else. I nearly slipped on the polished wooden stairs, gripping the railing just in time as I flew down in breathless anticipation.
By the time I stumbled into the sitting room, I was panting, my chest rising and falling with the effort.
Mum's head snapped up sharply. She was holding a mug of steaming tea, her brown eyes instantly narrowing, studying my face. I could feel her searching, trying to read my expression.
"What's got you so excited?" she asked, lowering her mug onto the table. Her tone was curious, but I could already see a flicker of worry behind her gaze. She had papers neatly stacked on the sofa beside her, all arranged like she'd been preparing for bed.
Bella was nowhere to be found. Of course, she would already be asleep in her room. Tomorrow was a school day for her, and unlike me, she didn't get to stay up late for heart-pounding news.
I glanced down at my feet, at the chipped red nail polish that had almost completely faded. My chest tightened. It felt surreal, too surreal, to say it out loud.
I was officially a student of Dale's High now.
The name rolled in my mind like something untouchable, like it didn't belong to girls like me. Dale's High. Prestigious, powerful, an honor only a select few could claim.
"Mum," I breathed, my lips curling upward as if the words themselves carried magic. "I've been accepted to Dale's High."
Her reaction was instant. She gasped, her hands flying together in a clap. Her eyes shimmered with excitement, pride spilling out of her in waves as she stared at me like I was glowing.
"Oh my goodness, Sophie? I'm so proud of you!" she cried, her voice trembling with joy. "Congratulations, sweetheart. I told you, you were going to make it. Uncle Josiah needs to hear this. He'll be so proud."
Her words wrapped around me. For the first time, I truly believed it. I wasn't dreaming. I had made it.
I handed her my phone so she could see the acceptance email herself, but deep down, I already knew what came next. My girls had to know. I could already imagine their excitement buzzing through my screen.
Oh God, thank you, I thought, my eyes briefly lifting toward the ceiling.
Mum clicked on the link attached to the email, and together we scrolled down to the official page. Bold letters glared back at us:
Welcome to Dale's High. If you are on this page, your name has been officially accepted. Please complete the required fields before submission. Once submitted, no adjustments can be made.
I swallowed hard, my hands trembling as Mum passed the phone back to me. My name. My age. My headshot photo. My finger dragged across the screen, filling in everything they asked for.
Then came the question. The one that made my throat tighten.
Boarding or Day School. Please tick one box.
My eyes flicked toward Mum. We hadn't even discussed this.
"What do you think?" I asked, almost whispering, though my heart begged her to decide for me.
"Driving three hours every morning…" she murmured, watching me closely. "Or living at Dale's High hostel."
I couldn't speak. The silence stretched between us.
Her voice softened, coaxing, almost commanding: "I'd suggest you click hostel."
My shoulders sagged. Hostel? For eighteen years, I'd lived under her roof. I'd never stayed away from her or Bella, not even once. My chest constricted at the thought of living with strangers.
"Should I?" My voice broke, weak and unsure.
Mum reached over, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, her touch tender but firm. "You'll study better at the hostel. You'll pass your exams. You'll get into college. Yes, Sophie. You should click hostel."
Her certainty left me with no choice. With trembling fingers, I ticked the box.
The screen blinked, calculating automatically. And then the numbers flashed before us.
My heart almost stopped.
"Two million dollars."
I gasped aloud, nearly dropping the phone. "Mum, two million?"
Her eyes widened too, but she quickly leaned forward, copying the school's account number onto a notepad.
(That's about 2,702,000 Singapore dollars.)
The figure alone was enough to make my stomach twist. Would Uncle Josiah really pay this much?
Still shaking, I clicked Submit. The word glared back at me in bold letters: SUBMITTED.
The reality hit me all at once. I was really going.
I looked around the sitting room, at the house we had only just moved into weeks ago. It wasn't much yet, but it already felt like home. My chest squeezed painfully. I was going to miss it.
"Now," Mum said, her excitement bubbling over again, "we need to buy your school necessities. And your hair and nails, you can't go to Dale's High like this." She gave my chipped nails a pointed glance, her tone half-amused, half-determined.
She began shuffling her papers into neat stacks, sliding them into her laptop bag, her mind already planning a thousand things ahead. "Congratulations, Sophie," she said again, softer this time.
I nodded, smiling weakly as I hugged her tightly.
Tomorrow, we'd call Uncle Josiah. Tomorrow, we'd start preparing for the weekend. Tomorrow, everything would change.
But that night, lying in bed as rain poured against the windows, I stared into the darkness, my mind racing with images of Dale's High.
Would I have a roommate? Would they be snobby like the students I'd seen at the exam hall? Would I even fit in?
The dim light of my phone lit up my face as I curled deeper under the covers. My thumb hovered over the group chat, the one place where secrets never stayed secrets for long.
The last message flashing on the screen was from Tessa.
"Joan, stop drooling over my brother. He's not worth it."
I smirked, scrolling up. Joan had been caught.
"I don't care," Joan had typed stubbornly. "He's so sexy. God, I saw his abs the other day when he came out of the shower, I wouldn't mind waking up to that."
Heat rushed to my cheeks, even though it wasn't about me. I could practically see her blushing through the screen.
Tessa had replied instantly, furious.
"Snap out of it, Joan! You don't want to wake up to his disgusting morning face. He has mucus all over when he gets out of bed. Believe me, you'd run screaming."
A sticker of a girl gagging followed, which made me snort.
But Joan, stubborn as ever, had doubled down.
"I don't care! He's still hot. Don't tell me you didn't notice, Tess. The way he carries himself, that voice…ugh, I can't."
I bit my lip, my stomach fluttering at the memory. Elvis.
Tall. Muscular. That effortless charisma that made everyone turn when he walked into a room. His skin, smooth and rich like coffee, his voice deep enough to melt anyone if he wanted.
I remembered the last time I'd been at Tessa's house, sitting awkwardly at the edge of the sofa while Elvis walked past with his friends. I'd tried so hard not to look…but my eyes betrayed me.
I'd glanced. Twice. Maybe three times.
My heart had skipped every single one of those times.
Tessa had caught me, of course. She'd always been sharp. She didn't even bother pretending to be surprised.
"Girls come here almost every week crying to my mum because of him," she'd said bitterly, warning me like I was just another name about to join that list. "He charms them, sleeps with them, then throws them aside like they never mattered. Don't even think about it, Sophie. I mean it."
I sighed, shaking my head and typing quickly before I lost my courage.
"Girls, I have been accepted to Dale's High! Just got the news, I'm so excited."
I hit send and watched the little blue tick appear.
No one replied. They were all asleep.
My phone slipped from my hand, glowing faintly on the sheets until it dimmed to black.
—
The next morning, I woke to the faint clatter of dishes and the low murmur of voices drifting from downstairs.
Stretching, I blinked at the sunlight spilling into my room. My body felt stiff, heavy, like I hadn't slept at all. I grabbed my phone from beside my pillow. Eight forty-five.
And the notifications, oh God, the notifications.
The girls had finally seen my message.
I scrolled through the flood of texts, laughter bubbling in my chest as I read their screams of excitement.
"SOPHIEEEE! You're going to Dale's High! Ahhh, I knew it!"
"Girl, this is your moment. Don't forget us when you're rich and famous."
"Now you've passed the hard part, mission number one: charm one of the Red Dynasty heirs. Tell us EVERYTHING about them. If not an heir, then at least find yourself a rich Asian boyfriend. Don't disappoint us, Sophie."
I rolled my eyes, grinning despite myself. Trust them to turn this into a mission.
Still…a shiver of nervousness ran down my spine. Dale's High wasn't just a school. It was an empire. A place where the heirs of the wealthiest families, the untouchables, roamed like gods.
And me? I was just Sophie.
Shoving my doubts aside, I slid out of bed and dragged myself to the bathroom.
By the time I made it downstairs, Mum was on the phone. Her voice was low, serious, but the moment my name slipped out of her mouth, she glanced up. Our eyes met, and she quickly covered the speaker with her hand.
"Have you had your bath?" she mouthed.
I nodded, damp hair sticking to my neck.
She gave me a look of relief before turning back to the call. "Yes, Josiah, Sophie's here now. I'll pass the phone to her."
My stomach fluttered as she held it out to me. The screen glowed with his name: Josiah.
I pressed it to my ear. "Good morning, Uncle Josiah. How's your family?"
His deep, jovial voice rumbled through the line. "Ah, Sophie. Congratulations, my dear. You've made us all so proud. Dale's High, hm? I always knew you had it in you."
A smile spread across my face. "Thank you, Uncle. Really…I couldn't have done it without you."
And I meant it.
From the dining table, Bella munched noisily on her cereal, kicking her feet against the chair. Her small voice cut through. "Congratulations, Sophie! Mum is so excited. I'm so happy for you."
My heart softened, and I reached over to brush her cheek. "Thanks, Bell. You're the sweetest."
Meanwhile, Mum bustled in the background, packing her lunch for work. She never cared about the time she arrived at the office, only that deadlines were met.
Uncle Josiah chuckled warmly. "You don't need to thank me, Sophie. I've already paid the fees for the year. All I ask is that you study hard and leave the rest to me. Deal?"
I froze, my grip tightening on the phone. Already paid?
My chest swelled with guilt and gratitude all at once. "Thank you, Uncle. Thank you so much."
His laughter deepened, as though my gratitude pleased him. "That's my girl. Now make us proud."
When Mum took the phone back, their conversation shifted, to land, construction, family matters that no longer involved me.
But my mind wouldn't stop racing. The fees had been so much. I hadn't even dared believe it was possible. Yet here it was. Paid. Sealed. My future bought with the stroke of my uncle's pen.
I sat at the table, pouring milk over my cereal, but my appetite was gone. I forced spoonfuls into my mouth, trying to keep my hands from shaking.
Then Mum returned, her leather bag slung over her shoulder, her laptop bag heavy in her hand. Her expression was unreadable, but her voice was brisk.
"Sophie, the school texted your uncle after the payment cleared. You're to start tomorrow. Tests begin next week."
I froze, cereal halfway to my lips. "Tomorrow? Already?"
Her eyes met mine, firm and unyielding. "Yes. It's school rules. Dale's High doesn't waste time, and neither should you."
My heart hammered. Tomorrow. I hadn't even wrapped my head around leaving home, around saying goodbye to Bella, to Mum, to this house we hadn't even finished unpacking.
"Set your alarm for six a.m.," Mum continued. "We need to be there before nine so you can settle in."
Her words rang in my ears. Settle in.
But how do you settle into a place that could change your entire life?
I glanced at Bella, who was still cheerfully crunching her cereal, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.
And when I looked back at Mum, she was already heading to the door, her voice sharp with impatience. "Brush your hair, Sophie. We're leaving soon to get your things."
Everything was happening too fast. Too real.
Tomorrow, I would walk into Dale's High.
Tomorrow, I would step into a world I wasn't sure I was ready for.
And deep down, I couldn't shake the chilling thought…
That Dale's High was more than just a school.
It was a test.
And I was about to find out if I'd survive it.