Writing Prompt : The person in your life you’re the most jealous of

Bill Branson was going to ruin what was supposed to be the best day of her life.

She was always the girl with the answers- spelling bees, geography bees, academic challenges and board game nights with family members who wouldn’t even play against her anymore. Her first Trivial Pursuit triumph over her parents was at age eleven.

She took the test, passed the interview, got the call. Her entire 20 years had built to this 20 minute taping. 20 minutes until her chance for riches, the sweet farewell to student loans and a trip across the ocean.

Bill Branson was a wizard with the buzzer. He was practiced, poised, a veteran on the switch with a triplet of victories under his belt. He was also the youngest, the one other near-child within their collective of fortune seekers. And though he was another kindred traveler on the journey to this Culver City set, she envied him. She envied his age, his wealth, his stop on a dime precision. She hated how good he was, and how he was taking everything from her.

He didn’t even have student loans that needed to be paid off.

It wasn’t fair, she knew the answers too. She knew them all, but she couldn’t make her timing work. Her palms grew sweaty, her actions even less precise. She missed the switch and became victim to its cruel lockout. Over and over, constant misses with no chance to even ask her questions.

Man she hated this guy.

He bested her, took the glory she had dreamed of and pocketed the cash he admittedly did not need. Everything was his fault, everything.

Only it wasn’t.

Ten years and a lockout lifted she sat in front of her test screen with a second chance. It wasn’t Bill Branson’s fault all those years ago when her hands shook, when she missed her shot to double up. Sure, she still had student loans, those were eternal. But she could not envy Bill Branson any more. She had to focus, take her test, figure out the buzzer again when the time came.

Was chalking up your hands allowed?