"Yeah, why?" Ben said, signing his name.
"How will you run when you’re always in trouble?" Alicia asked, confused as she watched one of Hillside High's biggest bad boys fill out a form to become a presidential candidate.
"I’m turning over a new leaf in life," Ben said, handing his form to his homeroom teacher.
“Aren’t we lucky,” Alicia said, sighing.
Even the homeroom teacher looked over the form, mimicking Alicia's thoughts. "Is this for you?"
"Yeah. Why?" Ben asked, shrugging.
"That’s great that you’re showing an interest in leadership."
Ben took another from the bin and folded it into a paper airplane. Then he tossed the airplane. It bumped into Alicia’s temple.
"Are you going to run again, Arianna?" her homeroom teacher asked.
"Yes, of course." Arianna bit her bottom lip to keep her anger inside. She had been the class president since sixth grade. She ran on her ideas—better lunches, more time between classes, and better sports uniforms. And no one ever ran against her—until now.
She reached into her bookbag and pulled out her registration paper before handing it to the teacher. Yet something deep inside her gut told her that this political turn would be a bit different from the last. She would have to up her game this year and do whatever she had to do to win.
****
The next day, Arianna ran into Ben on her way to homeroom. "Are you going to the debate?" she asked. All the paperwork had been turned in, and it was announced that Arianna would run against Ben for the eighth-grade class president.
"Who knows?" he said, pushing Arianna to get into the bathroom.
A minute later, a teacher rushed past Arianna. Then, the teacher emerged from the small bathroom with Ben. "No vaping," the teacher said. "You know the rules."
"It wasn't mine," Ben said before sulking to the principal's office.
"Likely story."
Arianna shook his head. She couldn't figure out why someone like Ben was running for class president. But then again, she wouldn't have to worry about Ben. Speeches were this afternoon; she doubted he'd be there after this latest mess-up.
****
"I didn't do it," Ben said as he sat in Principal Adams' office.
"That's what you said the last time," Principal Adams paused as he clicked through Ben's files on the computer. "Fourteen times."
"But I didn't do it this time," Ben said. "I don't even vape."
"Then, explain this," Principal Adams said, holding up a plastic bag with a vape inside.
He'd never seen that vape pen before. Ben felt his heartbeat race and hot tears fill his eyes. Why was this happening to him?
****
Later, Arianna sat in the audience, watching Ben deliver a speech about unfair rules and punishments at Hillside Middle School to a roaring audience.
"And that's what I plan to do," Ben said, dropping the mic before sitting beside Arianna.
"Well, that was interesting, Benjamin," Principal Adams said.
"Why are you doing this?" Arianna asked Ben.
"The same reason you are," Ben said. "Power, popularity, prestige."
"And now, please welcome your sixth and seventh-grade president, Arianna Santaz," Principal Adams said.
Arianna stood up and smoothed her skirt before stepping up to the podium. The applause was way less than Ben's. This was not a good sign.
"Good afternoon, fellow students," Arianna said. She then went into her usual speech about how she would change Hillside Middle School for the better.
"Boring!" someone shouted from the back.
Arianna paused. If she didn't do something quickly, she would lose this election.
"The difference between Ben and I is that I get things done. Ben has never held the office before," she said, watching her fellow students begin to sit up in their seats. "You want change. I'll give you change. I'll give you my number right now." She held up her phone. "Text me know what you want, and I'll give it to you—the people. On the other hand, Ben is more worried about himself and his problems than you."
Arianna's phone blew up as soon as she handed the mic to Principal Adams. She hoped the students were too busy texting to applaud—because it was silence.
"Well done," Ben said as Arianna sat down. "I didn't see that coming."
"There's a lot you didn't see coming," Arianna said, smiling.
****
Later that day, Arianna still responded to the texts she'd received as she sat in English class when the announcement came on the loudspeaker.
"I'd like to announce the winner of the eighth-grade class president, but before we do that, I want to speak about something we've just uncovered."
Ben must be in trouble again. Arianna grinned and sat up straighter. This was her moment and Ben's final demise.
"It has come to our attention that our election has been rigged, and we're sad to announce that one of the class president candidates has been planting evidence against the other candidate, making it look like he was doing some recent offensive things."
Arianna felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"Therefore, Arianna, please come to the office immediately,” the principal paused. “And Benjamin Norris, congratulations. You are the eighth-grade class president."
"Nooo!" Arianna stood up and flipped her desk in rage.
"It's over, Arianna," the school security officer met her at the door.
Question
Which two themes are found in the passage?
Responses
A irony and surpriseirony and surprise
B characters and satirecharacters and satire
C surprise and figurative languagesurprise and figurative language
D irony and satireirony and satire
1 answer
The correct answer is A: irony and surprise.
The situation has several ironic elements, such as Ben, a known troublemaker, running for class president and ironically being elected despite his past misbehavior, and the reveal of election rigging which ultimately leads to Arianna's downfall. Additionally, the conclusion contains a surprise twist when it is announced that Ben has won the election, contradicting Arianna's expectations and efforts.
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