Seventeen✨

Nicole 💜

The morning had been rough. Anxiety had twisted knots in my stomach ever since I woke up, and I could barely eat anything at breakfast. Chemistry had always been my hardest subject, and today was the exam I dreaded most. No amount of late-night studying seemed to help; it all felt like one big blur. But Alex, in his usual calm way, had been there to reassure me, his words soothing the panic that kept threatening to bubble over.

His belief in me, the way he kissed me before I walked into school, gave me the strength I needed. I clung to that kiss, to his voice telling me I was going to be okay, as I sat down in the exam room and the test paper was placed in front of me.

I took a deep breath, trying to settle the nervous flutter in my chest. You’ve got this, I told myself, echoing Alex’s words. You’ve worked so hard, and you know this stuff. Trust yourself.

The clock ticked loudly, but I didn’t let it get to me. I started by skimming the entire exam, a habit I’d developed to calm myself and see what I was up against. The first few questions looked manageable, but then I saw some complicated ones toward the middle, questions that seemed like they were written in another language. My heart skipped a beat, but I reminded myself of what Alex had said: take it one step at a time.

So I began, starting with the easiest questions. The first was straightforward, asking about chemical equations I’d memorized weeks ago. My pen moved quickly, jotting down the answers with confidence. This is fine, I thought. I can do this.

The next few questions followed the same pattern. Some I knew by heart, the formulas and concepts flooding back into my mind as if I had just studied them moments ago. The familiar ones were a breeze, and I solved them within seconds, a small smile forming on my lips as I worked through them. Each one I ticked off gave me a little more confidence, making me feel like maybe, just maybe, I was going to survive this exam after all.

Then, I hit a wall.

Question fourteen.

I stared at it for a moment, my mind blank. It was one of those tricky questions—the kind that seemed simple at first glance but was packed with layers of complexity. I could feel my pulse quicken, that familiar wave of panic starting to rise. What if I can’t solve this? What if I waste too much time here?

But then Alex’s voice came back to me. You’re going to ace it. You’ve worked hard for this. Trust yourself.

I took another deep breath, steadied myself, and started breaking the question down. I could do this. I had done this before, countless times during my study sessions. It was just about focusing, not letting the panic get the better of me. Slowly but surely, the answer began to take shape in my mind, and I scribbled it down on the page. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something.

With that, I moved on to the next question, and then the next. Some were tougher than others, requiring more thought, but I was starting to find my rhythm. When things got hard, I took a moment to breathe, remembering Alex’s steady voice in my head. Each time I felt the anxiety creeping back in, I paused, closed my eyes for just a second, and let myself feel the weight of his words, the warmth of his kiss before I walked into school.

It worked. I found my center, calming the storm inside me, and tackled the difficult questions one by one.

By the time I reached the end of the exam, I was surprised to find that I had ten minutes to spare. I let out a deep breath, feeling the tension drain from my body as I leaned back in my chair. I’d done it. Well, at least, I thought I had. I wasn’t entirely sure how well I had done, but I knew that I’d given it my all.

The ten minutes I had left were a gift, and I wasn’t going to waste them. I flipped back to the beginning of the exam, carefully rereading each question and checking my answers. This was the time to catch any small mistakes, to dot my i’s and cross my t’s—literally. I found a few spots where I could clarify my work, making sure my handwriting was neat and my answers fully explained. I fixed a minor calculation error in one of the harder questions, feeling a surge of relief that I had caught it before time ran out.

When I reached the last page, I sat back again, feeling a mixture of exhaustion and pride. The panic was gone now, replaced by a calm sense of accomplishment. I had done everything I could, and I wasn’t leaving anything unchecked.

As the exam invigilator called for us to stop writing, I closed my booklet with a soft sigh, offering a silent thank you to Alex for being my rock through this. Without his support, I wasn’t sure how I would’ve gotten through it all. But his belief in me had helped steady my nerves and clear my head when I needed it most.

I gathered my things slowly, not in a rush to leave but savoring the relief that washed over me. When I handed in my exam paper, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. The hardest part was over.

When I stepped out of the class, I leaned against the wall avoiding crowds as I waited for Jessica to come out and we could leave for the cafeteria to have lunch, because of my nerves this morning and not being able to eat. I was now very hungry.

The morning had been rough, and by the time I finally sat down in the cafeteria with Jessica, I still felt the weight of the chemistry exam looming over me. My mind kept flashing back to question fourteen, wondering if I’d answered it correctly. Chemistry had never been my favorite, and despite how hard I studied, it still felt like an uphill battle. But I had Alex’s voice in my head, reassuring me that I’d be okay, and that was enough to settle my nerves, at least for now.

“Not all of the questions were so bad,” I told Jessica as I pushed and twirled my spaghetti around my plate. “But question fourteen…that was a real headache.”

Jessica groaned dramatically, taking a huge bite of her pizza. “You’re so brilliant, Nicole. I wish I had half the brain you do.”

I smiled softly, shaking my head. “Don’t say that. I’m sure you did well.”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking out the cafeteria window at the students passing by. “I don’t know. I mean, I tried, but it’s just…ugh, chemistry. You know?”

I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. “Yeah, I get it. But hey, it’s over now. We just have to survive Biology next.”

“Survive,” Jessica repeated, making a face. “That’s the word. Why do finals feel like they’re designed to kill us?”

I laughed a little, even though a part of me agreed with her. The stress of finals was suffocating, but I was doing my best to manage it. I had Alex, after all. He always made sure I wasn’t too hard on myself, always reminding me to take breaks and take care of myself. Even with his own final project hanging over him, he somehow found time for me, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

As we finished up lunch, I checked the time. “We should probably head to the library. I want to get through at least two chapters of Biology before I lose focus.”

Jessica groaned but stood up, gathering her tray. “You and your focus. Fine, let’s go. But just know, I’m going to complain the entire time.”

I smiled and linked my arm through hers as we headed out of the cafeteria. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

The walk to the library was peaceful, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow through the windows over the hallway. The stress from the exam was slowly starting to fade, replaced by a sense of calm.

When we got to the library, we headed straight to our usual spot in the back, a small table tucked away near the reference section. It was quiet, save for the soft whispers of other students studying nearby, and it was the perfect place to hunker down and get some serious studying done.

“Okay,” I said, pulling out my Biology textbook. “Let’s start with cell division. It’s going to be a big part of the exam.”

Jessica made a face but sat down across from me, opening her own textbook. “Fine. But only because you’re the only one who can explain it in a way that actually makes sense.”

I laughed and began going over the basics of mitosis and meiosis, patiently explaining the steps while Jessica scribbled down notes and asked questions. It wasn’t long before we were both fully immersed in the material, the stress of earlier fading away as we focused on the task at hand.

Studying with Jessica wasn’t so bad. Sure, she complained a lot, but she always made me laugh, and it was nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. Plus, it was a good distraction from the lingering anxiety I felt about chemistry. And the more we studied, the more confident I felt about Biology. I could do this. We could do this.

After an hour of reviewing, Jessica leaned back in her chair and stretched. “Okay, I think I’m finally starting to get this. Thanks, Nicole.”

I smiled at her, feeling a little proud. “No problem. We’ll go over the rest tomorrow, and by the time the exam comes, you’ll be a Biology pro.”

She snorted. “Yeah, right. But at least I won’t fail.”

We packed up our things just as the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as we walked out of the library, the fresh air hitting my face. Another day of studying done, another step closer to the end of finals.

As we stepped outside, I spotted Alex’s car parked near the front of the school, right where he always waited for me. Just the sight of him made my heart skip a beat, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“There’s my ride,” I said, turning to Jessica. “I’ll see you tomorrow for more studying?”

She nodded, giving me a quick hug. “Yep. See you tomorrow, don't be late, so we can do some late minutes reading."

I laughed softly, hugging her back. “Sure,no problem. See you tomorrow.”

I walked over to Alex, feeling the familiar warmth spread through me as I got closer. He was leaning against the driver’s side door, looking effortlessly handsome, his dark hair tousled from the breeze. When he saw me, his face lit up with a smile that made everything—exams, stress, finals—fade away.

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted me, pulling me into his arms for a tight hug. His scent was comforting, like home, and I melted into him, letting all the stress of the day slip away.

“Hey,” I whispered back, resting my head against his chest for a moment.

“How was your day?” he asked, pulling back slightly to look at me. His thumb brushed lightly against my cheek, a simple touch that made my heart flutter.

“Exhausting,” I admitted with a soft laugh. “But I survived the chemistry exam. Now I just have to survive Biology.”

Alex chuckled, his hand sliding down to gently squeeze mine. “You’ll ace it, just like you always do.”

I looked up at him, feeling that familiar warmth in my chest whenever he said things like that. He always believed in me, even when I wasn’t so sure of myself. “Thanks. You are so lucky to have finally completed and submitted your project."

He nodded, opening the passenger door for me. “Yeah, but I still have my final exams to worry about. But till then, I am at your service.”

I slipped into the passenger seat, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. No matter how stressful our days were, we always ended them like this—together, sharing the highs and lows of our day, supporting each other. It wasn’t always easy, but as long as I had Alex, I knew I could get through anything.

As he started the engine and we drove off, I glanced over at him, my heart swelling with affection. I couldn’t wait to hear more about his project, to spend the evening with him, just like we always did.