The aura of fear leaves me on the edge of my seat as I realize that my calculator has run out of batteries. “Man, now what do I do,” plays in my head over and over like a broken record player as I realize that there is one question left on my algebra test. X + 3 = 8 leaves me in a cold sweat as I begin to give in to the fear of failure. I attempt to peek over at my neighbor’s test, only realizing that they have finished the test and are working on assignments from another class. Only 5 minutes until the bell will ring, ending class and my entire school career. I slouch back in my chair as I comprehend that there is nothing that I can do. As the clock slowly ticks closer to the hour mark, the entire world slows down. A measly 2 minutes feel like a perpetual nightmare. The pins and needles in my just-awakened feet travel through my body like killer bees, stinging every pore on my skin. My head falls against my desk, generating a thud that echoes across the classroom. I begin to close my eyes, unknowing of what to do, until my head shoots up in joy. “The batteries!” I think to myself. I rummage through my bag at lightning speed, throwing my English papers on the floor as I search for my spare batteries. My ring finger hits a cold cylinder, sending a spark of joy through my body. With 30 seconds of class left, I pick up the batteries with one hand as I open the back of my calculator with the other, sweat rushing down my back. I click the power button and yell “Eureka!” inside my head. I input the equation into my calculator with 15 seconds left of class and write down my answer. The number of seconds left of class ends up being the same as my answer to the problem: 5.

Later, you are left with 3 minutes. 3 minutes until the school day ends. 3 minutes until you exit English and head to your car. 2 minutes. You are on the edge of your seat, refusing to converse with anyone, eyes locked on the door. 1 minute. Your class begins to line up at the door. Knowing this is your chance, you slither past your acquaintances and end up closest to the door. 15 seconds until school ends. You enter a running stance and prepare to break free from the competition, knowing that your goal is more important than theirs today. Ring. You sprint out the door, accelerating with every step, on a mission to reach your car, knowing what awaits you at home. You exit the building in a matter of minutes, reaching your car before the opposition even has a chance to think. The car revs up as the door is slammed, and you throw your bag carelessly as the car is switched into reverse. Knowing your house is straight along the road for a mile, you floor it out of the parking lot to the traffic light. As it changes colors, the suspense of the red light makes you sweat bullets. When the light turns green you slam the right pedal, beating the car to your right and almost causing an accident. Traveling along the road 10 miles over the speed limit you miss the flashing light in the school zone, lucky that no kids or cops are around to see. As you reach your street, your crank the wheel to enter the street at 40 miles per hour. As you travel by each house, the butterflies in your stomach slowly turn to bees. When you reach your home, you stop in the middle of the street. You run out of the car to the mailbox, knowing what awaits you there. When you open the mailbox, you find just one letter in there. You tear open the letter, making sure not to rip open the insides. All of your pressure is dissolved when you find out that you have passed your test-out.

I close my home from the front door, pushing against the morning breeze. Happy to come home, I take off my shoes and put my car keys away. I know of only one thing to do know that my homework is done: practice. I enter my study and approach the piano, wiping off the dust from my fingers. This is how I will spend my day.

The scent of old dust enters my body as I open the door of the practice room. Paint peels off of the cobweb-filled walls as I take a deep breath before sitting down on the stool. The piano, finished with a matte black, stares at me and tells me to begin. Each combination of keys gives off a different aura when I touch them in synchronization, creating a plethora of colors. Even just a single key has the power to start or end a show. As I start to play Chopin’s Op. 25 No. 11, an E begins the song with a quiet and suspenseful mood. As I reach the first fermata, the song stays in a soft state with a high level of intensity, keeping the audience of spiders on the edges of their seats. After the second and third fermata, however, the mellow mood is disposed of and the song erupts into a strong, intense flurry of notes. The piano begins to sing and causes the music to dance. My right hand moves across the keys at full speed while my left hand stretches and holds down the background of the song, adding another layer of color. Rhythms and notes fly out of the piano left and right as I hit each key. As the song starts to reach the last line, the mood of the song stays strong and ends with another statement of the original theme. I look over my mistakes in the song, checking tough passages that I have trouble with and begin the song once more. I know my practice session has only just begun. Multiple more hours await me today. The suspense of the song has led to joy, putting a smile on my face.

Finally, as I open the door to my room, I throw my backpack on the floor next to me. A long, hard day of school is over, putting a smile on my face. That smile soon fades away from my face, along with my energy. All I can think of is sleep at the moment. I meander to my room with my back slouched, bumping my right shoulder into a wall in the process. I reach my dust-filled room, abundant with the smell of sweat, and fall on top of my bed, not worrying about the sheets or blankets. "Time to sleep," I think.

So what does this revolve around? The idea of positivity and persistence. Positivity will help after a hard day or a tough situation if you look at it the right way. A practice session that seems like a bore can become a fun and riveting experience; a math problem that seems impossible can become possible if you look for the solution to your dilemma. Not giving up and living happily are the most important things to focus on in order to live a successful life.