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// Chapter 6: Failure 
// Story: End of the Line 
// by Sunlight Rays 
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As time went on, some of the classmates began to tease me about my grades. Of course, they were all snobs here. What did I expect? They would make snide remarks about my grade, such as “Got an F again, Shux?” and “Hey, cheer up, Shux. At least your score lives up to your name.” I should mention that by this point the nickname ‘Shux’ had spread pretty much throughout the entire school, no thanks to Boss and his gang. I also gained the nickname ‘Scarface’ thanks to the scar that ran down from my left eyebrow to where my left cheek began.

I ignored them, although at times I would bite my lower lip. No point arguing with snobs like them. They think they’re the center of the universe, so why even bother? Even then, they did have a point. My grades was the lowest in the entire class, and I even began to show trouble in fully understanding the lessons. The teachers also noticed, and gave me advice that I should review my notes more often, solve more problems, just work harder in general.

And whenever I would go ask them about a particular problem we had solved during class, or about a concept I didn’t understand, they would cock their heads, or look at me with eyes that spoke incredulousness about the fact that I couldn’t understand such basic stuff. At one point, Professor Top Marks basically shouted “Lux, this is such an easy concept. Just apply the basics and rules you learned this way and that and you can easily prove it! What part of it is so hard to understand?” while I stood there, in the teachers’ office, in front of all the other teachers. During that fifteen minutes, the ground became the most interesting thing to look at.

“You need to study harder, Lux,” said the professor, “go over the notes, solve more problems, review the concepts you’ve learned so far. It’s not that you don’t have the talent in you; you’re not trying hard enough.”

So I did. I tried harder. And harder.

I would go to sleep past three in the morning, when my body just couldn’t take it anymore and had to sleep. I would drink coffee every morning just to stay awake during class, while using every second of break time and lunchtime I had going over my notes and doing my homework. I knew it wasn’t healthy for me, but I didn’t care. My body could take a bit of a strain if it meant an improvement in my grades.

Time passed by like an arrow, with days turning into weeks, which in turn changed into months. It had been two months, and now midterms were approaching. During that time, I continued to struggle with my assignments. Most of the time, it was a C or a D. Other times, it was an F. I still had my hopes up, though. It only had been two months, and I was sure it was because I hadn’t fully adjusted to the new environment.

Nevertheless, I really needed to make sure I got the grades I wanted in the midterms. I mean, trying so hard to get the results I wanted, only to turn out that I didn’t would be so… disappointing, so bitter. Not to mention it would disappoint my parents once more.

I really hope to get good grades on this test, I thought. I worked so hard throughout the semester, and I would be happy if it paid off just for once. If I don’t get good grades… not only would it show that what I’ve been doing was utterly pointless, it would also tell my parents that they’ve been supporting me for nothing.

I shook the thought away from my head. I was studying in the school library, sipping coffee from a plastic cup. As I pored over the notes I had taken during class with heavy eyes, trying to get my thick head to absorb a thing, I heard hoofsteps approaching. I glanced up, and my heart fell. Lemon Hearts and Ruby Pinch were approaching.

Just like her name, Lemon Hearts had a thing with giving her heart to some ponies… and giving other ponies the lemon. Ruby Pinch was her best friend, always keeping herself close with Lemon. Naturally, she would be the first to join whenever Lemon Hearts decided to poke fun of my grades.

“Studying hard, Scarface?” Lemon Hearts asked, sporting a smug look on her face. I sighed inwardly; I hated this filly.

“What do you want, Lemon?” I grunted, making no effort whatsoever to hide my resentment towards her.

“Oh, just so you know, all the other seats were full, so we were hoping to sit in this desk. Also, I’m pretty sure you could use a helping hoof with your studies,” said Lemon Hearts, barely holding back a snicker.

“I don’t need your help, thank you,” I growled through gritted teeth. I wasn’t going to get help from such an arrogant pony like her. Or like anypony in my class.

“Heh, sure. Just don’t come crying to us when you get an F in the midterms, Shux,” said Ruby Pinch, snide literally dripping from her words.

“I won’t,” I replied coldly as I packed my stuff and prepared to leave.

“Aww, running away, aren’t you?” said Ruby.

“Right now, I’d be anywhere other than being with you two,” I snapped without looking at them.

“Yeah, sure. Says the only stallion without a cutie mark in our class….”

I turned and glared. “What did you say?” I asked, as fury rose to my throat.

“I mean, it’s true. You’re the oldest among all of us, and yet you don’t have a cutie mark! Even Ruby and I have our own cutie marks,” said Lemon, with a wide smirk on her face.

“Me getting my cutie mark is none of your business, so just leave me alone, will ya?” I snarled. Then I turned and walked away, trying with all of my will to hold my anger back.

“Yeah yeah, sure….” muttered Lemon, while Ruby shouted “See you later, Shux!”

I shook my head and trotted out of the library. At this point, I wouldn’t have been surprised if somepony said they were worse than Boss ever was. And I couldn’t take my anger out on them, or I would end up in a bad spot. Not to mention that I indeed didn’t have a cutie mark yet. But right now, that wasn’t the major concern I had.

Not before long, the midterms arrived. I went over my notes up to the very minute we were required to put everything away and take our tests. Not that it had much effect on the test grades. And, unsurprisingly, I struggled once again.

For the next six hours, while we were tested on six different subjects, I had to endure a torture that lasted for six hours. Every problem felt as if it were some problem that had come from Tartarus to torture me, and my head throbbed as if it was going to explode under the pressure. Every time I turned my test papers in, I knew I was going to fail it, seeing how few problems I had managed to solve in time. 

During the transformation test, the last test of the day, I was asked to transform an apple into a tea cup. I eventually ended up creating an object that resembled one-third apple, one-third cup, and one-third donut. Dejected, I lowered my head and walked out of the test room.

I had tried so hard, and yet… I failed. I failed myself, my family, and… everypony.