At the Cloudscape Community.
When Juniper got home, Shanley, Jimmie, Harold, and Melvin were already there. The video of the press conference was playing on the TV, and news of the top scorer had spread like wildfire across the internet.
"Congratulations, Ms. Payne," Dana said, taking Juniper's bag with a brilliant smile. It was true what they said about birds of a feather flocking together. The country's only two perfect scorers in history were Mr. Schwartz and now Ms. Payne. They were truly a perfect match.
"Huh?" Juniper looked up, a little surprised. "Congratulations for what?"
"For being the top scorer, of course!" Dana said, getting more excited. "Ms. Payne, you were incredible! Everyone online is singing your praises."
"Oh, that," Juniper said with a faint smile, not seeming particularly excited. "Thanks, Dana."
She knew Dana was only telling her the good news, conveniently leaving out all the negative comments.
Dana was taken aback by her nonchalant attitude. "Ms. Payne, aren't you happy?" she asked, feeling a bit awkward.
"I'm happy," Juniper said, her eyes blinking as her lips curled into a grin.
Dana scratched her head. Ms. Payne's reaction was just... not normal. It was as if getting a perfect score was as mundane to her as eating or sleeping.
"You can go now, Dana," Shanley said, walking over and gently taking Juniper's hand. His voice was patient and warm. "You were excellent at the press conference today."
"It was alright," Juniper replied casually, though her tone was tinged with disappointment. "It's a shame there were cameras everywhere. I couldn't get physical. Otherwise, I would've twisted the necks off those old fools from Eclara High."
Hearing their sister's bloodthirsty comment, Jimmie, Harold, and Melvin all froze for a second. It was a good thing there were cameras. If there weren't, they had no doubt Juniper would have followed through.
"Just pick whatever," Melvin said, crossing his arms. "I trust Juniper. She'll excel in any field she chooses."
Their sister was like a perfectly balanced warrior, skilled in everything and unbeatable. There seemed to be nothing she couldn't do.
After finishing her apple, Juniper pulled out her phone to check the time. A news alert popped up on her screen: [Foreign intelligence agency attempts to breach the nation's security network. The attack was aggressive and devious, causing significant damage and a major setback for national security.]
So brazen? Juniper's clear eyes narrowed, and the temperature around her seemed to plummet. Her lips moved, and she spoke suddenly, her voice cold. "Computer science."
"Computer science?"
Shanley, Jimmie, Harold, and Melvin all looked up at the same time, their eyes filled with confusion. She decided just like that, in a matter of seconds?

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