Lena stared at the blinking cursor in the search bar, bathing in the faint blue glow of the computer screen, lost in thought. The neighborhood was eerily silent except for the occasional chirp of a cricket, the moment of peace before a violent summer storm, with thick tension buzzing through the air. The church bell behind the house struck midnight, its echoes bouncing down the dark, empty alley. A flash of lightning illuminated the world, followed by the distant rumble of thunder. She clicked the login button on the PowerSchool page as it came alive, her mind bursting with agitation. Her mouth felt dry, and her heart was pounding furiously in her chest. Seconds felt like eternity as she waited for the webpage to load. However, when Lena saw the loathsome, heartbreaking number, it took a moment for the painful realization to sink in. The whole world crumbled into pieces around her. She felt as if she was slowly suffocating from the sharp, stabbing pain in her heart. Number two. Again.

Lena had placed second in pretty much everything for as long as she could remember. Memories of cello recitals and cross country meets in middle school galloped through her mind. Someone was always smarter, more athletic, or more talented than she was. She thought all that would change once she got to high school, but competition only became more intense than ever. Oh God, what would her mother say if she found out? Her overbearing mother had grounded her from going to a friend's sleepover when her grade in Physics had merely dropped down to an A-. Lena suddenly felt dizzy. It was like everything in her life was slipping away, spinning wildly out of control.

Her best friend, Heather, always reassured Lena that being second best was still pretty good. Well, screw that, Lena thought. It’s not good enough for anyone. Heather was an aspiring lawyer, and she had been accepted early decision to Yale University. She also won the state championship in gymnastics three years in a row. Everything in Heather’s life was going smoothly, and she had a future full of potential. Heather never had to sacrifice anything; she never knew what it felt like to be second best.

A wave of jealousy washed over Lena, as it began raining outside. She leaned her head on the cool glass and listened to the water dripping from the rooftop. She could taste the bitter betrayal on the back of her tongue. It was her senior year, and she and Heather had been looking forward to receiving their diplomas together at the commencement ceremony, surrounded by thundering applause, ever since they tied for first place in sophomore year. The perfect, delicate balance of their friendship had been shattered. But how could she blame Heather, after all they had been through together?

In that moment, she didn’t care anymore. Lena was so determined to achieve her goal that everything else faded away. She was even willing to jeopardize their friendship if it would help her win back the victory that once belonged to her. “Success is more important, after all,” she whispered to herself, swallowing the lump of guilt in her throat. Her silver medal was made from her tears, her broken dreams, and years of trying her best, but still not being good enough. It was her burning ambition to show everyone, once and for all, that she deserved to be the best. Lena opened the window, letting the rain wash away her despair as her vision blurred. The battle to the top wouldn't be easy, but it was no reason to give up.