The Fight for the Editor's Post

As Alex parked his car in front of Sarah's house, he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity wash over him. He knew the routine all too well: Deliah would be scrambling around the house gathering her things while Sarah waited by the window, watching for Alex's arrival.

Sure enough, Sarah's silhouette appeared in the window, and he imagined Deliah's hurried footsteps echoing through the house. As the door opened, Alex's eyes naturally shifted to the taller of the two sisters. Sarah usually let Deliah bounce to the car first while she locked up the house behind them.

But this time was different. As Sarah locked up, she turned to meet Alex's gaze for the first time. They exchanged a knowing look, and he sent her a small smile. Deliah giggled from the backseat, teasing her sister about the tension in the air.

Alex chuckled. "Why Sarah Johnson?" he joked. "Haven't you gotten used to the fact that you're going to lose, despite the mental preparation for two weeks?"

Sarah rolled her eyes, but he could tell she wasn't actually offended.

Deliah couldn't help but let out a playful chuckle and give her boyfriend a sly look. "Hey, Alex honey, do you seriously believe that sissy is going to lose the Editor position to you?" she snuggled up close to Sarah. "Sissy's got this in the bag, no doubt about it."

Sarah beamed with gratitude as she met Alex's gaze in the rearview mirror. He arched an eyebrow at her teasingly, silently daring her to add her two cents to Deliah's bold claim.

But Sarah wasn't one to back down from a challenge. She raised her own eyebrows challengingly and murmured, "You know, Liah, I think I'll win too."

Alex couldn't help but break into a wide smile at her newfound confidence. He shook his head in amusement and pressed down on the accelerator, eager to see what else Sarah was capable of. It was clear that this was the first time he'd ever heard her speak so confidently and assertively, and he was excited to see where this newfound sense of self would take her.

*******

After school that day, Alex and Sarah made their way to meet Teacher Edison. The Aerospace boys were aware of the ongoing battle between them for the Editor position, but they were unaware of the secret deal that Alex and Sarah had made regarding the "prizes" for the winner.

Philip turned to Joe,

"So, who do you think is going to get the position, bro?"

Joe tapped his chin and pondered for a moment. His gaze flickered over to Alex and Sarah, taking in their demeanor. Sarah looked slightly nervous, indicating that the position was important to her, while Alex appeared calm and collected, as if he had already accepted that the position wasn't meant for him.

"Even though you're my best mate in the whole wide world, Alex," Joe began dramatically, "and we've been through so much together. Remember the time when we stole the jam from the bottle at your house and got caught by your mother? And the time when-"

Henry cut him off, unable to bear the long-winded storytelling. "Dude, are you ever going to get to the point? You're such a talkative"

Joe pouted and made a face. "Fine, fine. I was just trying to make a point." He turned to Alex and Sarah. "And my point is...I think Sarah will win."

Alex let out a chuckle, not surprised by the prediction. "You could have just said that from the start. What's with the long foreword?"

"I was trying to remind you of our friendship and the things we've been through together," Joe said, faking a sob. "Don't you care about our relationship anymore?"

David, unamused by Joe's dramatic antics, rolled his eyes and playfully whacked him on the head. "You should have joined the drama club instead of basketball, mate."

Alex checked his watch and murmured to Sarah, "It's about time. Let's go."

Sarah bid goodbye to the Aerospace boys, who wished them luck, and nervously nodded her head. Brad's eyes lingered on the boys for a while, even after they had left. He turned to Alex, his nerves getting the better of him.

*Alex, do you really... have you really..." Brad trailed off, swallowing hard. "And I can't even ask him. What if it isn't? I'm accusing him of being a cheater, and that's just...*

"Brad, what are you doing?" Steve called out. "Catch up! I thought you'd be the first to dart off to find Nancy."

"Oh, right, Nancy!" Brad rushed off, as Steve had predicted, and decided to push the Alex-Sarah thing to the back of his mind. Alex would know what to do... right?

As they waited outside Teacher Edison's office, Alex noticed Sarah playing with her fingers nervously, licking her lips occasionally, and pressing them together tightly afterward. She fidgeted restlessly, her eyes darting around continuously.

Alex reached out and held her shoulders, urging her to stand still. "Chill, Sarah," he murmured, amused. "Don't be so nervous."

Sarah looked up at him, visibly jittery. "I can't," she squeaked, her voice strained. "What if... what if I don't get it? I can't not... you don't understand how much this post means to me. How much I need it."

Without thinking, Alex cupped her cheeks and made her look at him without turning away. "Sarah Johnson, you're going to get the position of Editor," he said firmly. "Don't doubt yourself. I don't even know why I'm one of the candidates, but you should have been selected without question. You deserve this post, and only you are eligible for it."

"Follow me," he instructed, taking a deep breath. "Breathe in, breathe out."

Sarah followed suit, taking a large gulp of air. "Good," Alex grinned, patting her cheeks. "And once you get the post, remember this moment when I cheered you on and don't give me that bad of a punishment."

With a grateful grin, Sarah looked up at Alex, but just as she did, the door opened and in walked Teacher Edison. Alex's hands were still on Sarah's cheeks, which left Teacher Edison looking a little puzzled.

Quickly retracting his hands, Alex's face turned a deep shade of red. He coughed awkwardly and tried to fake a smile. "Can we go in?" he asked, hoping to move on from the awkward moment.

Without saying anything, Teacher Edison nodded and led them inside, where they took a seat on one of the couches. With a smile on her face, Teacher Edison announced that she would be revealing the new Editor later that day.

"The announcement will be made to the rest of the committee on Monday," she explained, rubbing her palms together. "And the new Editor will have the chance to interview Ian McEwan on Sunday."

As the anticipation grew, Alex glanced over at Sarah and saw that her eyes were squeezed shut, her fingers crossed. "Cute," he thought to himself, smiling.

With bated breath, Sarah and Alex waited as Teacher Edison announced the new editor. "The New Editor is....Alex!" she exclaimed, causing Sarah's eyes to widen and Alex's jaw to drop in disbelief. "What did you say?" he asked, stunned.

Grinning from ear to ear, Teacher Edison confirmed that Alex had indeed won the post. "Well done I knew you could do it, being Mr James's son and all-" she began, but Alex interrupted, convinced that there had been a mistake. "This is a mistake right? There's no way I could have won against Sarah. Is there a mistake in the calculation of marks or-"

Sarah intervened, urging Alex to accept his win gracefully. "Alex, you got the position. Stop fighting it," she said softly. But Alex was persistent, feeling like everyone had been expecting Sarah to be chosen instead. "Look Sarah, everyone knew you would get it. It can't be me! It's just f*ucking hilarious if it really was!" he exclaimed, desperately seeking her understanding.

Growing impatient, Sarah scolded Alex. "Alex James, don't make a scene," she warned, before turning to Teacher Edison to express her gratitude for the opportunity. "Thank you for seriously considering me as one of the candidates. I'll be going now, you must have tasks to assign to the new editor."

Sarah made a hasty exit, bowing before leaving. Alex quickly sprang to his feet and bolted towards the door. "Hey Sarah!" he shouted, not caring about the curious stares from the other teachers.

As Sarah wiped a tear from her cheek, she noticed Alex's attempt to catch up with her.

*Oh no, no, no," she thought to herself. "He made me cry.*

Alex was about to run after her when Teacher Edison intervened. "Alex, we have to go over the new tasks. You can console her later," he said, putting a stop to Alex's pursuit.

But there was no "later." When Alex finally emerged from Teacher Edison's office, Sarah was nowhere to be found. She didn't answer his calls or messages, and Alex was so worried that he would have charged over to her house if she hadn't sent him a single text.

To: Alex James

No need to fret over me, I'm alright. All I really need is some alone time, is that alright with you?

Why don't you think about what you want me to do for my end of the bet instead?

From: Sarah Johnson

Alex let out a deep sigh and shook his head in disbelief. "I hope you are truly fine" he muttered under his breath.

Alex called Deliah for a chat for the first time that night.

The phone rang and Alex's heart skipped a beat as he waited for Deliah to answer. Finally, her voice filled his ear, "Hello? Alex honey?"

Alex couldn't help but smile, "Hey there Deliah. How's it going?"

Deliah's response was lackluster, "Eh, it's been a day. What's up?"

Alex quickly shifted the conversation to something more comforting, "Have you had dinner?"

Deliah let out a small sigh, "Yeah. But... sissy didn't eat much."

Concern washed over Alex, "Oh no. How's she doing now?"

Deliah's voice cracked as she spoke, "To be honest, not well. She's been putting on a brave face, but I can see right through it. She's faking every smile."

Alex's frustration was palpable, "Damn it. I hate that she feels like she can't come to us with her problems."

Deliah chimed in, "Yeah, she's always been like that. But this time, I could tell something was really wrong."

Deliah continued sharing her thoughts, "Just a few moments ago, I felt the urge to go to her room and talk incessantly, hoping to distract her from her worries. But then I heard her sobbing and my heart sank."

"Alex, my dear, I believe she's crying," Deliah said empathetically.

Frustrated, Alex threw his pillow on the floor and tightly shut his eyes, letting out a string of curses.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Alex's voice sounded strained and odd, even to himself.

"I don't think you should be the one trying to comfort her right now, honey," Deliah explained. "Sissy lost the position to you, and it wouldn't make sense for you to console her. It meant more to her than anyone else, it was her future and her dreams."

Alex's heart sank as he processed Deliah's words. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Sissy's dream is to be a journalist, and as you probably already know, the key to getting into the best newspaper firm is attending the top college. Unfortunately, our family can't afford the steep fees of Texas University, which means Sissy needs a scholarship to make it happen," explained Deliah.

Alex felt his heart drop as he listened to his sister's dreams being crushed before his very ears. "That's terrible news. What can we do?" he asked, trying to keep his composure.

"Well, one of the requirements for the scholarship is that Sissy needs to hold a leadership position in a writing or literary organization. Without this editor post, she won't be able to apply for the scholarship, and will have to settle for a second-tier college," said Deliah.

Alex gritted his teeth in frustration. "I need to help Sissy. Let me call you back," she said abruptly, ending the call.

With a deep breath, Alex grabbed his pillow and let out a fierce growl of frustration. "Damn it! Why didn't Sarah Johnson tell me about this?" he exclaimed.

Feeling defeated, he collapsed onto his bed and clutched the sheets tightly. But then, a spark of determination ignited within him. "No, I can't give up. There has to be something I can do. Maybe something went wrong in the selection process. I refuse to believe that I was chosen over Sarah," he thought to himself.

Sitting up straight, Alex's brows furrowed as he made a declaration. "Sarah Johnson, I will fight for your Editor Post."