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<center><sub>*Image Created by me using Canva*</sub></center>
***
I heard the mixed voices of shouts from the hallway and I already knew it had begun. 
## <center>REPORT DAY</center>
Looking at it from a poetic view, I guess my schoolmaster had a rather open mind.
Putting your grade books in the locker you used to write the exam and hiding the key around your class. You had till the end of the first week to find your key and open your locker.
**"𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑠."**, he said. I laughed out loud and entered my class.
The thing is that for those that couldn't open their lockers during the 1st week, their next term result would be added to the locker and so on till they're expected to graduate.
Same way, if you do find your key and open your locker, your next result would be locked, and the key would be hidden again. The key and the locker had the same number for easy identification.

Normally, the pressure to find the key would be worse in my class, being in my final year, it means that those who don't find their results and those who haven't seen it since their 1st year would have to wait for graduation to see what they've done in their 6 years. 
From the doorway, I looked at my classmates trying any means possible to open their lockers without breaking it. 
Some using Bic pen covers to try and hack the lock, others bringing other sets of keys and trying, whatever it is they tried it didn't work.
There was this particular person that I've been watching for some years now. 
Victoria Martinez, one of the dullest in the class, last I remembered. She decided that it would be best to use a file and attempt to file inside the keyhole, removing all the grooves and hence a flat file could open it.
At least it sounded more sane than trying to use a pen cover. 
I looked at her now, sweating profusely as she worked her way in, filing quickly, knowing this was her last week.

I think the energy in the class was split into 3 groups, those who were hyperactive in trying to open their desks, those who had given up and broke down crying while there was that special group. The group that doesn't even try to come to school, thinking it's a waste of time and energy, believing in their skills to create results that they can review gratefully on graduation day.
I was a member of the last group until my 3rd year when I found my key. 
Using thread to sew it into the blind, it blended perfectly with the silver color of the paint and curtain. 
Actually I found it by pure coincidence, when my magnetic pin stuck to the curtain. 
After finding it, my first thought was to open my locker but then I thought.
"Why open the locker now and look for the keys again, when I can just leave it and go on knowing exactly where it is, hence they won't change the locker or hide the key again.

So every day of every first week, I spend my time coming back to check on the key and note the progress of my classmates in their own desk struggles.
I went to the curtain blind, walking carefully, making sure not to draw any attention to myself. 
I quickly took hold of the spot and felt the solid shape of the key. Feeling reassured that it was still there, I feigned trying to look around for my own key and trying to force open my locker before giving up and going home.
I repeated my act every day till Friday, knowing it was the last day of the week.
Upon reaching my class, the pressure in the air could be cut with a bread knife.

Everyone knew this was the last day and the number of people still trying to open their lockers had decreased drastically. 
The class looked scattered with pen covers and papers, with what looked like a bit of blood on the floor.
"Jessica flipped and tried using her nails to open the lock." A classmate whose name I didn't remember, told me.
"Bloody lock ripped her nails off." He concluded with a shake of the head.
I looked at my keys hiding spot and saw it was untouched so I went on to proceed with my farce of looking for it.

I looked at Victoria still filing her keyhole, sweat dripping from her chin to the floor, determination in her eyes. 
It rather inspired me to look more vigorously or at least act to look. After 3 hours of acting, I decided it was time for the great finding.
So standing up from the bookshelf with all its books already pulled down. I stretched and walked to the window like I wanted some fresh air. 
I looked and noticed that it was only me and Victoria in the class, she was still filing.
After a quick search I grabbed hold of the curtain and shouted.
"Yes!!" I said as though I just found it.
Although the shout was unnecessary as there was no one to take notice apart from Victoria who was rather busy.
I carried the key and sat down looking at it.
Thinking of how huge such a moment was, wouldn't it be better for me to just wait till graduation.
"Let's open it." I turned to look at Victoria talking to me.
She sat down with a key in her hand and her file on the floor.
Together we put our individual keys into the locks and twisted them.
I felt a click as a latch opened onto my desk, showing the report envelope inside.
I stood up and turned to see her desk opened. She looked at it in disbelief and I couldn't blame her, I'm surprised her filing worked too.

I looked at my result, and with shaking hands I carried it out. Immediately the desk closed back and the keyhole swallowed the key.
I looked at Victoria as she held onto her envelope. We sat closer, both waiting for one to initiate a move at opening their envelope.
I took a dip breath and opened mine looking at the grading chart. 
It showed my grades dropping continuously from my 3rd year.
My overall grade was a D, barely passing. I was in shock, I stole a glimpse at Victoria's and saw an A. The girl that I thought of as dull.
She smiled contentedly as she held the script to her chest.
My face held no emotion when I folded the result neatly, put it in my envelope and walked out of the class.
In the hallway, I walked past a portrait of the schoolmaster, with a plaque of his main phrase put under.
**"𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑠."**
Then the tears flowed.