Chapter 2. (COMPETITION OR BATTLE?)

"YOU CAN TALK!!" Sophie exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth before she woke her parents.

"Wait, you understood what it said?" Digi asked, though not surprised.

"I... I don't know... unless it talks again," Sophie stammered nervously.

"Can you understand me?" the cat said as it entered Sophie's room.

"It spoke again!!!" Sophie gasped.

"Wow, do you know what that means?" Digi said excitedly.

"Does it look like I know?" Sophie snapped, frustrated as she put her hands on her head. "Maybe I'm just tired. I should go to sleep... This is too much stress." Her anxiety was taking over.

"Sophie, calm down," Digi said soothingly. "This is your new power."

"Of course it is... I'm going to... wait, what?" Sophie paused, confused. "A power that lets me understand animals? How can I have that?"

"Well," Digi explained, "I think it's related to your previous adventures. You dealt with mutants, and many had animal abilities. So that's why."

"What?" Sophie still seemed lost.

"Think of it as a reward for your achievements," Digi said simply.

"Oh... okay, I guess that makes sense," Sophie replied, starting to relax.

"Thank you again, Miss," the cat said politely.

"It's alright...um..... what's your name?" Sophie hesitated, unsure of what to say next.

"Milo. My name is Milo," the cat replied as it moved closer to the window.

"You're welcome, Milo. But... where do you stay?" Sophie asked, eyeing the black cat with concern.

"I don't have a home. I'm a stray. I just came to say thank you for your kindness," Milo said softly.

"Oh, you poor thing," Digi chimed in sympathetically. "Sophie, you should keep him!"

"No, Digi, I can't," Sophie replied firmly.

"Why not?" Digi asked, sounding disappointed.

"Because my dad doesn't like pets," Sophie explained. "My mom's okay, but only with cats."

"Then what's the problem? You can take care of a cat," Digi pressed.

"Digi, as much as I'd love to, I can't," Sophie sighed.

"Why not just hide him? No one has to know," Digi suggested mischievously.

"Digi, I'd know and the guilt of hiding him from my parents would eat me up every day. I can't do that. But..." Sophie said thoughtfully as she patted Milo, "You can come visit anytime you want."

"Really?" Milo asked, his voice full of surprise.

"Yes, but I'll have to tell my dad," Sophie added.

"Thank you so much," Milo purred in gratitude.

Sophie smiled, giving Milo one last gentle pat before he leaped out of the window and disappeared into the night. She watched him until he was out of sight, then closed the window and turned to face Digi, who was sitting on her bed with a satisfied smile.

"What?" Sophie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not wanting to hide something from your parents shows honesty. That's a good sign," Digi said approvingly.

"Thanks, but I'll still need to talk to him," Sophie replied, sitting down on her bed.

"Alright, Sophie," Digi said. "But you should get some sleep now. You've got to be up early tomorrow for that singing competition."

"Yeah, but it's still in the morning. How fast will it come," Sophie said confidently.

"Very fast," Sophie said as she stood outside Mrs Williams's Office the next day. "Digi was right," Sophie grunted silently and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a woman's voice called from inside.

Sophie entered the room and saw a woman in her late twenties, with dark grey hair and piercing blue eyes, busy signing papers at her desk.

"How can I help you?" Mrs. Williams asked, not looking up from her work.

"Mrs. Williams, I'm here to submit my form for the singing competition," Sophie said, sliding the paper across the desk.

Mrs. Williams glanced at the form and raised an eyebrow. "So, you're joining the competition?" she asked, skimming through the details.

"Yes," Sophie confirmed.

"And you're entering alongside Faith?" Mrs. Williams inquired.

"Yes," Sophie replied firmly.

Mrs. Williams gave her a brief nod, signed the form, and handed it back. "Alright, you're all set. During recess, all participants need to meet with management for the final instructions. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sophie replied before leaving the office.

The day proceeded as usual but was soon about to take a turn for the worse. Sophie and Faith met up during recess and made their way to the school's auditorium. Upon entering, they were greeted by a variety of people and bands.

As they settled into their seats, the lights dimmed, and a spotlight illuminated the stage. A woman in her late 30s, with black hair tied into a bun, striking green eyes, and wearing a gray suit, took the stage.

"Good Afternoon, Students; how is everyone doing?"

It was the principal of the school, Miss Charlotte.

"I am enjoying this atmosphere, I assume you all registered for the singing competition, correct?" She shared her excitement.

"And I am grateful that you all here signed up for it." She said.

"So we have up to 60 people that signed up, and they are as follows:....," the principal began, drawing everyone's attention. The audience leaned in, eager to hear the lineup. After a few minutes, she announced the last five contestants.

"....A group, called the B-Rap," the principal continued, setting the stage for the enthusiastic group. "Next, we have a group of 5 people, the Chanters, followed by a group of 2 people, The Tough Guys, and another group of 2 people, Harmonies," the principal elaborated, emphasizing each group's unique identity.

"And... Leo Bexter," the principal announced, pausing for effect. Faith and Sophie's eyes lit up upon hearing the last name, hinting at a deeper connection or familiarity with Leo. The anticipation in the room was palpable as the principal revealed the contestants.

The principal then explained the next steps of the competition. "Three representatives will be chosen from these competitors," the principal stated, setting the stage for the upcoming rounds. "Each of the five schools from the state who signed up for the competition will then have a final round in 2 weeks. So, in these 2 weeks, we will rehearse and, in the end, will pick our 3 representatives," the principal outlined the timeline, laying out the path ahead for the contestants.

"For the rules, anyone who goes against any rule or breaks a rule or does anything they are not supposed to will be disqualified from the competition and will get a strike. I hope I make myself clear?" the principal emphasized, her tone stern.

"Now I would like the contestants to come to the stage and introduce themselves," the principal invited the contestants, signaling the start of an exciting journey.

Sophie and Faith rose from their seats and made their way towards the stage. Faith was nervous, but Sophie held her hand and gave an encouraging smile. Other students followed suit, joining them on stage to introduce themselves. First to step forward were the B-raps, composed of 2 girls, Maddie and Erica, and 2 boys, Bolin and Chris. The energy of the group was undeniable as they introduced themselves, reflecting their passion for the competition.

Next up were the Tough Guys, represented by 2 twin brothers, Riley and Andy. Their camaraderie was evident as they proudly introduced themselves, exuding confidence and determination.

The Chanters, led by Brenda, took the stage next, consisting of 2 girls, Lila and Kiara, and 2 boys, Danny and Tyler, all the way to a boy with beautiful blonde hair and brown eyes, exuding determination and charisma, who took the spotlight. Leo Bexter introduced himself with a determined face and a captivating smile, capturing the audience's attention with his confident presence.

Last but not least, the stage belonged to The Harmony, as Sophie and Faith stepped forward, radiating enthusiasm and anticipation. The crowd's cheers echoed through the auditorium, enveloping the contestants in a wave of support and encouragement.

"Alright, and that's all the contestants, and we have closed sign-ups; thank you all so much for the introduction. You may take your seats," the principal acknowledged the contestants, signaling the end of the introductions. "Thank you for coming. The first round will be in 5 days at this auditorium, so I hope all will prepare, and we will get to see your performance. Thank you again, and have a great day," the principal concluded, leaving the contestants and the audience eagerly anticipating the upcoming showcase of talent and passion.

As Sophie and Faith were preparing to depart, Bella, Nick, Miles, Lucy, Brian, and Phil approached them.

"Guys, did you hear..." Sophie began, but Bella interrupted, "Yes, let's go meet him."

The group descended to the stage and caught sight of Leo conversing with the principal. As they approached, Leo finished his conversation and turned around when he heard, "Hey, Leo, dude." Phil exclaimed.

Leo turned to see a group of 8 people smiling at him. "Hey, guys," he responded, smiling back as they all embraced in a group hug.

"Hey, how have you been? It's been so long," Sophie said. "We haven't been able to stay in touch," Nick replied. "How's everything going? How are your parents? How's your new school? Is it far? Do you like it there?" Lucy asked, barely pausing for breath.

Leo chuckled, happy to see that his friends were still the same. "I'm doing great, and everything is fine, thankfully. It's great to see you all again," Leo replied.

"You too, dude." Phil happily replied and they both did fist bump.

"So what brings you here? I mean, I know it's for the competition, but how come?" Bella inquired.

"Well, our school didn't qualify, but they said I could participate from another school as an external entrant, so here I am," Leo explained.

"Well, at least we get to meet again," Miles said, smiling a bit.

"Why don't we all hang out and catch up on the past 2.5 years?" Brian suggested.

"That would be nice," Faith whispered.

As the group was preparing to depart, they heard a girl's voice from behind, "Hey, the punies!!" They turned to see Brenda and her group smirking at them. "I had a feeling you would also participate in this event, so you can feel the pain when we defeat you," Brenda clenched her fist.

"You defeat them?" They all turned towards the twin brothers. "Oh please," Railey and Andy retorted as they concluded the sentence.

"Nobody can outperform the double duo box beats," they said and showcased a 10-second beatboxing display like professionals, ending it with a dab.

"No, the B-raps have great rhythm and rhyme," the other group shouted.

Some of the other groups also began to join the debate when Leo intervened.

"Hey, knock it off, all of you; this is just an opportunity for students to demonstrate potential and have fun. It's for us to gain experience and connect with our spirits, and how can you do that while fighting?" Leo stated. The crowd quieted down a little, and Sophie chimed in, "He makes a great point, guys; let's handle this respectfully, alright." Sophie smiled, hoping the others would understand.

Suddenly, Brenda and her group started playing music. "Oh please, Miss Goodie Shoes, that is all that you know. But what you don't know is that people don't just want you to achieve something; they want to see how you get to it. This competition isn't just about experience, it's about victory, winning, being perceived as great."

Suddenly, the crowd began whispering, "You may see this as a competition, Sophie, but for us, it's a battle. A battle to showcase your true potential." Brenda implied.

The whispering then turned into agreement.

"Yeah, she is right," they heard someone say, and others joined in; some students who weren't even participating were in the auditorium listening to the whole drama.

"Well, I guess this proves our point," the twins said. "Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle!" The whole crowd started cheering, and Brenda smirked at Sophie, but Sophie with determination, hoped for the best.