Overslept on the Morning of My Crucial College Entrance Exams Because Someone Turned off My Alarm
I woke up late the morning of my medical college admission exam to discover that all of my alarms had been inexplicably switched off. My 8-year-old brother came up with a solution that would preserve everything as I was running out of time.
I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was a young child. That dream only intensified after my mother passed away from cancer. I wanted to help others combat the sickness that had taken her life and to help those like her comprehend it.
I spent years preparing for this moment—through late hours, innumerable books, and more tests than I could remember. I was finally taking my medical admission exam today, which meant that all of my hard work was finally paying off.
I made every effort to avoid oversleeping last night. On my phone, I have three alarms set for 6:00, 6:15, and 6:30 in the morning. To get awakened by the sunlight, I even left my curtains open. I promised myself that I would make my mother proud as I laid in bed.
Something wasn’t right when I opened my eyes the following morning. The darkness was too great. My heart stopped when I went for my phone—it was 9:55 a.m. At ten o’clock, my exam began.
“No, no, no! This isn’t possible.” I grabbed my phone and tossed off my blankets. The three alarms were silenced.
“I know I set these!” I mumbled as I dressed in record time, my hands trembling. My head was filled with inquiries. How did this occur?
Half-dressed and with my hair flying everywhere, I ran down the stairs. “Linda!” In a desperate attempt to find my stepmother, I called out. “Please, Linda! To get to the college, I need a ride. I have an exam in five minutes.
In the kitchen, she was calmly drinking her coffee while her eyes followed me with an expression I couldn’t quite identify. With a glare as frigid as her coffee cup was hot, she raised an eyebrow at me.
“You’re late already,” she stated bluntly. “Maybe next time, you should learn to set an alarm properly.”
“I did set them!” I nearly yelled, my voice stinging from panic and rage. “I checked three times. All three of them were on.”
With a faint smile on her lips, she shrugged. “You obviously didn’t. Perhaps this indicates that you’re not a good fit for medical school. How will you manage anything important, like a patient, if you can’t even get out of bed in time?
My cheeks began to heat up as I stood there, my thoughts racing with incredulity and despair. This isn’t possible. I mean, my stepmother wouldn’t harm me like this, would she?
Even though I knew I would never be able to make there on foot, I felt compelled to try and turned toward the door. I heard a tiny voice behind me as I was about to grab the handle.
My younger brother Jason remarked, “I know who did it,” his eyes unwavering but his voice trembling with anxiety.
Confused, I turned. “Jason, what are you talking about?”
He nervously glanced at Linda as he took a tiny step nearer. “I noticed her. last evening. Emily, she switched off your alarms.
Linda gave him a glare. Hersing, “Jason, stop making up stories,”
Jason swallowed but refused to give up. “I’m telling the truth! I watched you enter her room, grab her phone, and silence the alarms. You claimed she didn’t have to attend that pointless test anyhow.
My head was whirling. I stared at Linda, looking for any indication that she would deny it or claim it was a misunderstanding. However, she simply crossed her arms and moaned.
Her voice hardened as she said coolly, “You know what, Emily?” “All right. I did it, indeed. You’re unfit to practice medicine. In all honesty, it’s a waste of time, effort, and money that your dad could use for something more valuable.”
“Like… your beauty salon?” Before I could stop them, the words were released.
I was going to shove past her and go when I heard sirens approaching our house in the distance, growing louder.
Jason offered me a tiny, optimistic grin and gripped my hand. “Em, don’t worry. I made an assistance call.
Linda’s expression hardened as she turned to face Jason, who was standing beside me and holding my hand. She hardly managed to form the words, “You seriously did this?”
The tension broke with Jason’s tiny voice. Despite his diminutive size, he added, “You are the bad guy, Linda,” with ferocious eyes. “One day, Emily plans to become a doctor. Her mother would be pleased with her.
Linda’s expression contorted, and before she could speak, the sirens outside began to scream louder. I saw her eyes widen in astonishment as she turned to face the window.
Two policemen entered through the open front door. One of them, a tall, wide man, talked authoritatively but calmly. “Is everything alright here?”
Jason was unflappable. He said, “I called you,” and he stood tall for his age. “My sister has an admission exam to attend. To avoid missing it, Linda turned off her alarms.
The officer’s gaze shifted to Linda, who instantly pretended to be innocent. She folded her arms and muttered, “This is absurd!” “They’re just children, making things up because they’re late.”
However, the female cop, who had a gentle gaze, lowered herself to Jason’s level. She said softly, “You called us to help your sister?”
Jason gave a forceful nod. “Yes. Emily had put in a lot of study time and was prepared. In order to avoid missing her test, Linda turned off her alarms.
The officers looked at one other and then at me. “Is that true?” inquired the male cop.
“Yes,” I said as the burden of everything descended upon me. “I have to get to my college right now, or I’ll lose my chance to take the exam.”
The officers looked at one other again and nodded. The female cop got up and said, “All right, young lady, we’ll get you there.”
Linda’s expression twisted in shock. Her voice was filled with fury as she blurted, “Wait, you’re actually going to escort her?” “This is ridiculous!”
“It’s our job to help people,” the officer said, dismissing Linda with a chilly demeanor. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
Jason, a small hero in his own right, was grinning proudly when I turned to face him. “Thank you, Jason,” I said softly as I gave him a firm embrace. “You saved me.”
Linda’s expression was a mixture of incredulity and rage as I walked away with the officers. After assisting me into their squad car, the officers drove off, swerving through traffic as we got closer to the college while sirens blared. This time, though, my heart hammered resolutely in my chest.
We arrived at the exam center a few minutes before the doors were about to close. I followed the officers outside as they led me to the entrance.
When he saw us, one of the proctors came over, looking perplexed. With a glance at the policemen, he stated, “Ma’am, the exam is about to begin,”
The policewoman gave a brief explanation. “This young woman is here now, but her alarms were tampered with at home. If there is any way for her to take the test, I understand if you are unable to create an exception.
As he listened, the proctor’s hard expression softened. He gave me a quick nod after glancing into my eyes as though assessing my sincerity. “All right. Enter now.
I managed to say, “Thank you,” almost thinking I’d made it.
Still shaken, but determined not to let the events of the morning overwhelm me, I found my seat. I inhaled deeply, briefly closed my eyes, and reflected on my mother. I was determined to seize this moment and not let anyone else take it away. I grabbed my pencil and started the test.
I was tired but relieved when I left the exam room hours later. Even though the officers who had assisted me were no longer there, I could still feel their generosity as I made my way home. When he saw me, Jason, who was waiting on the front steps, sprung to his feet.
With hopeful eyes, he inquired enthusiastically, “Did you do it?”
Despite my weariness, I smiled as I nodded. “I did, thanks to you.””
He wrapped me in his arms. “I knew you could.”
My dad was waiting inside. He had a pallid face and a stern expression on his lips. He had been anticipating my return home so he could hear it all. Jason took the initiative to go over everything that had transpired while my absence.
My dad’s eyes narrowed and his face flushed with rage as he turned to face Linda, who was attempting to appear composed and unaffected. His voice trembled with controlled rage as he shouted, “Is this true?”
Linda looked from one of us to the other. “I… All I wanted to do was prevent her from making a mistake. Finally looking cornered, she muttered, “I didn’t mean for it to go so far.”
My dad remarked icily, “You destroyed her dreams due to your own selfishness.” “You’re not staying here another night.”
When Linda realized he was serious, her face went white. He forcefully shook his head when she attempted to object. “Linda, pack your things. This is not fair to this family.
When she eventually departed, Jason and I watched from the door. It brought relief and a sense of justice, but no satisfaction.
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