Grades

The morning sun filtered through the classroom windows as students shuffled into their seats, groggy from yet another early start. Marcus leaned back in his chair, idly rolling a lollipop between his fingers while Alex sat beside him, tapping her pen against the desk impatiently.

"Relax, Alex," Marcus said with a smirk. "It's just a grade."

Alex shot him an unimpressed look. "Just a grade? This is about academic excellence, Marcus. There's a difference."

Before Marcus could fire back with a sarcastic remark, their teacher, Mr. Hayes, clapped his hands together, drawing the class's attention. "Alright, everyone, time to hand back your project grades. Some of you did well, some of you... well, let's just say the laws of thermodynamics weren't the only thing breaking down."

A few groans rippled through the room, and Marcus caught sight of a few students slumping in their seats. Mr. Hayes worked his way through the papers before finally stopping at Marcus and Alex's desk, setting their graded rubric down with an amused smile.

"Now, I have to say, this was... unexpected," he said, shaking his head. "Not only did you both get a perfect score, but you also completed an extra credit portion no one else even realized was on the rubric."

Alex's eyes widened as she snatched up the paper. A bold 100/100 was written across the top, with a separate +10 extra credit scribbled beneath it.

"We got the highest grade in the class by a long shot," she whispered in amazement.

Marcus, unfazed, leaned over to glance at the paper. "Neat," he said casually, popping the lollipop into his mouth.

Alex turned to him, incredulous. "Neat?! Marcus, we just aced a project that was meant to challenge everyone. And the extra credit—do you even remember doing it?"

Marcus shrugged. "I just followed your lead and threw in some stuff I thought made sense."

Alex sighed, massaging her temples. "I swear, if you weren't actually smart, you'd drive me insane."

"Good thing I am, then," Marcus said with a grin.

Across the room, another student groaned as they saw their barely passing grade. "Man, how did they get a perfect score?!"

"Because Alex is terrifyingly efficient," Marcus answered without missing a beat.

Alex smirked at that. "And because Marcus, despite appearances, actually knows what he's talking about."

Mr. Hayes chuckled. "Whatever the case, congratulations, you two. If you keep this up, you'll both be setting the curve all year."

As he walked away, Alex leaned back in satisfaction. "This is perfect. Another step toward academic perfection."

Marcus, meanwhile, stretched lazily. "Cool."