Maya stared at her math test with shaking hands. She'd studied hard, but doubt filled her mind. What if she failed? The clock ticked loudly as sweat dripped down her forehead. Around her, classmates scribbled answers confidently. Maya barely wrote anything.

Her best friends—Jordan, Emma, and Alex—finished quickly and turned in their tests. During lunch, they gathered at their usual table. "That test was so easy!" Jordan laughed. Emma nodded. "Maya, you were still writing when the bell rang. Did you even finish?" Alex smirked. "Yeah, she probably got like a D." The three friends giggled, making Maya feel small.

Maya felt hurt and angry. She wanted to quit trying. But something changed that afternoon. Her mom asked how the test went. Maya admitted everything—her fear and her friends' meanness. Her mom smiled. "Fear is normal, but you're stronger than you think. Real friends lift you up, not down."

A week later, the test results came back. Maya earned a B-minus. She couldn't believe it. At lunch, she walked straight to her friends. "I got a B-minus," she announced proudly. Jordan's face fell. "Wait, really?" Emma looked embarrassed. Alex quietly said, "That's amazing, actually."

Maya realized something important that day. She didn't need friends who mocked her struggles. She needed people who believed in her. "Thanks for your support," Maya said firmly, though they hadn't given any. She decided to find kinder people at lunch tomorrow—friends worth keeping.