Fleeting Perfection

In the creaky wooden chair by the window, Sophie stared at the paper on her desk. One hundred percent– she had done it. Whispered words of praise floated around her as the others peered over at her paper. The faint echoes of clapping were like music to her ears. She had never achieved full marks before, despite the hours and dedication she often put into her actual work. However, she had done it– even if it was in her sleep. The pride swirled in her chest, her mind buzzing with the faint chatter of the surrounding students. Her parents would be proud.

“Sophie! What did you get?” asked Maya, as she lightly nudged Sophie’s shoulder, a grin spread wide across her face.

“One hundred,” Sophie smirked, as she leaned back further to reveal the teacher’s marking– the perfect score accompanied by even more praise.

“One hundred per cent? I only got sixty-four per cent. I wish I had your grade instead.”

Maya’s words of admiration faded into the rest of the chatter. She couldn’t help it. Sophie had wanted perfect grades her whole life. In her ideal world, she was smart, pretty, and someone who everyone was proud of. She was perfect. Of course, Sophie was well aware that this ideal world was something easier said than done. She hated being hunched over her desk– working late into the night as her parents nagged her about her work, or constantly staring at her reflection in the mirror, only to obtain less than perfect. However, Sophie had found a more efficient way of living in her ideal world a long time ago. Night after night, she comfortably drifted off to sleep, knowing that she’d be met with fantastical pink skies, smiling faces, perfect grades, perfect looks, perfect everything. Sophie sighed whimsically as she glanced towards the window, catching a glimpse of the enchanting pink sky draped over the bustling city beyond the school’s gates. Too bad none of this was real. Sophie knew that even with all of the efforts she had put in over the years, she could never achieve her ideal world.

Suddenly, the blaring of her alarm startled Sophie from her sleep with loud beeping, forcing her to face her dark room– messy, with clothes strewn everywhere and papers piled up on her desk. With a sigh, Sophie hauled herself out of bed, getting ready as she stared back at her reflection in the mirror, at the state she was in– very clearly tired and disheveled. Her parents hadn’t even bothered with talking to her before she left. Sighing again, she headed to school. In class, she received yesterday’s test. Once again, Sophie found herself sitting up straight at her desk; the chair creaked with her every movement as the teacher passed around test papers. The sky seemed to have brightened a bit since Sophie had left, as faint pink light streamed in through the windows. The paper rustled as the teacher placed it down on Sophie’s desk, and slowly, she looked down. 

A small breath of relief left her. One hundred per cent. She had prepared for this.

“Sophie! Can I see your score?” Maya asked as she shuffled over to Sophie with her paper in her hands, peering curiously over her shoulder. “Seventy-three, that’s pretty good. I got an eighty-seven.”

“Seventy-three? You read it wrong. I got one hundred.” Sophie said, as she threw a questioning glance down towards her paper. One hundred– no less.

“What? That says seventy-three.” Maya sighed, “Forget it. You did well.” She smiled. However, Maya’s words faded into the background once again. Muttered praises and words of admiration were all she heard.

“Sophie got full marks again.”

“She’s so smart.”

“I wish my grades looked like hers.”

Sophie didn’t respond as Maya continued speaking. She barely listened, consumed by her thoughts. She had achieved her perfect grades. Maya had always scored higher than her, but now, she had finally won. She had done better. She was better.

The teacher’s voice droned on in the background– Sophie barely focused. She could feel a now-familiar pride swelling within her. This was her ideal world.

That night, Sophie returned to her own isolated world– her deluded fantasy. There, her parents showered her with praises and gifts– they even spent a day out with her. She was the best; her parents had told her so. In her mind, there was simply no argument against it.

The sun streamed in through her bedroom window, emitting a faint pink light that woke Sophie from her sleep. Her room looked just as pristine as it had always been as it bathed in the pink glow. When she checked herself in the mirror, Sophie saw herself– stunning. Her parents called her down for breakfast. Her mother asked her about school and her father simply read his paper. She barely spared them a thought. Before long, Sophie arrived at school. She pushed past the hordes of students crowded around her as she tried to get to her classroom– they praised her in the hallways. Sophie’s gaze shifted around the room in search of Maya. A moment or two passed, before she eventually spotted her standing in the doorway– the pink light that streamed in through the windows illuminated the scowl that Maya wore on her face. Sophie called out to her. However, instead of a response, Sophie only received silence. What had happened? Was Maya angry at her?

Despite the blatant cold shoulder, Sophie strode over to her, speaking up in an attempt to strike up a conversation with her best friend. However, Sophie was yet again met with silence. With a huff, Sophie turned on her heels, as she stormed off into the bustling hallway. This time, however, she was met with glares and scowls from the students she had pushed past and brushed aside earlier. Why were they all looking at her like that? What had she done? They had all praised her just a moment ago, hadn't they?

The bright, hallway lights flickered and glared down at her as she stood there. Her throat had dried up; a pit had formed in her stomach. The gazes of the students who had once looked at her with admiration, now scowled at her with irritation. Realisation crashed over Sophie like a wave, as it engulfed her in an overwhelming sense of dread that sent chills down her spine. This wasn’t her ideal world. She swallowed as she glanced around, only to see the reflection of her perfect self in a nearby window, jeering and snickering at her as the once admiring chatter from the students around her turned into snide comments. This wasn’t her. She had been obsessed with her own fantasy. Now Sophie was only left with the consequences of her delusions.