I don’t want to be valedictorian, but everyone expects me to

Exams are finally over and graduation is coming up… and everyone’s expecting me to be valedictorian. Honestly, I don’t want it. There’s someone in our class who deserves it more, and the thought of giving a speech in front of everyone? No thanks—I’d probably stutter the whole time. I even had a moment where I thought about failing on purpose just to avoid it 😬. But my friends stopped me and reminded me I don’t have to please everyone. Why does everyone always expect the “best” from you, even when you don’t want it?