On the Day of the College Entrance Exam, I Went to the City to Watch a Concert

On the day of the college entrance exam, I suddenly ran away from home and went to the city to watch a concert. My parents went crazy, stormed into the school and begged the principal to bring me back.

My homeroom teacher was so worried she lost a bunch of hair, because I was the only student in the entire school with a real shot at getting into Harvard or Stanford University.

Just the night before I ditched the exam, I had still been seriously studying until midnight.

My mom fainted from anger. My dad, furious and heartbroken, called me yelling, "If you skip the exam on purpose, you'll be banned for three years! Are you trying to ruin your life?"

At the concert, surrounded by music, I shouted back over the phone, "Dad, if I don't run away, I'll die!"

——

When the bell rang to start the college entrance exam, I had just squeezed into the concert venue with the crowd.

My mom called, panic in her voice. "Sherry, the teacher said you didn't show up for the exam, what's going on?"

I shouted over the noise, "Too late, Mom! The concert's about to start. I'll talk to you after it's over!"

A commotion erupted around me. They chatted, "What? This girl's a college entrance exam candidate?"

"Shouldn't she be in an exam hall right now?" someone asked.

Another voice chimed in, "She skipped the exam to come to a concert?"

"She ditched the most important exam of her life just to see a concert!" another person shocked.

The crowd spread the word like wildfire and soon the whole venue knew that a national college entrance exam student had bailed on her exam to be there.

People raised the latest phones, filmed me from all directions. I flashed a bright smile, showed my white teeth, still wearing my shabby old school uniform and gave a peace sign to the cameras.

The crowd continued, "She's lost her mind! Whose school uniform is that? Someone call her principal!"

Soon, my little flip phone was ringing non-stop. Calls from my parents, my teacher, the principal, even my deskmate.

On the screen, my mom was bawling, "My daughter was still studying past midnight yesterday, how could she just not show up today?"

My dad looked like he had aged ten years. Waving his arms wildly, he pleaded, "Our daughter has always been so obedient and loving, she wouldn't do this without someone manipulating her!"

I looked at them with heartache in my eyes, "Mom, Dad, the concert's starting. Don't panic. We'll talk after I've watched it!"

My teacher was so anxious she was scratching her head raw. "Sherry, you're our class's only hope for Harvard University! How can you just decide not to take the exam?"

I shouted, "Miss Applegate, we'll talk after the concert!"

The principal took the phone and said, "Sherry, as long as you come back to take the exam, name your price. Money, concert tickets with autographs, anything you want it, I'll get it!"

I shouted, "Mr. Goose, we'll talk after the concert!"

Then my deskmate took the phone with teary eyes. My brows furrowed and asked, "Donald, shouldn't you be in the exam hall?"

He choked up, "Sherry, please come back. We're all really worried about you. A three-year exam ban is no joke. I don't want you to go down the wrong path."

I smiled and said, "Donald, we'll talk after the concert!"

People around me pointed and whispered, their debates heated up, "She's so unfilial! Her parents are crying their hearts out and she's still using their money to go to a concert!"

"Maybe she was driven insane by all the pressure. Maybe she's rebelling by skipping the exam, trying to fight back against her parents!"

"Or maybe she's an anti-fan trying to sabotage our star, Tommy! She clearly came here to smear his name!"

I shook my head. None of those were true. But until the concert ended, I couldn't say a word.

As the buzz grew, the pop star held the concert stepped onto the stage with a pale face, he scanned the crowd for me in a panic.

Covered in dust, in old clothes with no fan gear in hand, I just danced along to the music, nodded my head with the rhythm.