The competition

Chapter 6: The competition

The sun rose as I got ready. I quickly got myself dressed and made my hair look so nice today. I never really did make my hair so soothing and perfect, but I guess today is an exception. We were supposed to go to the auditorium. I was kind of worried about Akuma because he and I did not meet each other after the fight happened. But I was very sure that he would not let me down because he wouldn't want to lose Jimmey either way. I heard that the other teams' members are all boys, and in our group, the only girl is me. It feels like some discrimination, but oh well. Nobody actually cares, don't they? I went to the auditorium and looked around. When I arrived, boy was I shocked. The auditorium was filled with many people that I have never seen in my entire life, and it was so gigantic. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was lost in reverie until Akuma grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the middle of the auditorium. "W-what are you doing?" I panicked as I followed him. "Well, you're not supposed to be just standing there in the audience seat when we have the most possible chance to lose," he said in a sarcastic voice. No wonder we hate each other. We both have the same bad mindset. As we waited for other group members, I sat peacefully in my chair, trying to calm myself down so that I wouldn't be nervous after all. But on the other hand, I saw Jimmey with his teammates. They all looked so calm and not nervous at all. Which actually shocked me and made me a scared cat.

After a while, they all announced that the competition would begin. All those words were gone from my head after the announcement. I did not know what to say, but Akuma looked very confident. We dove into the details, analyzing the legal intricacies, and brainstorming strategies to present the most compelling arguments. Though our personalities clashed, we soon realized that their unique strengths complemented each other well. Akuma started the competition, and it was so surprising that he was so good. He was flawless, and he even made eye contact with the judge and smiled at the audience. He was too good at public speaking. Jimmey once glared at Akuma all the time he was speaking. What's wrong with them? Seeing that Akuma was very good actually gave me the courage to speak up. But the next turn was Jimmey's turn. He went easy on us, and he just kept things as simple as possible. He was very chill, and he was still as cool as Akuma. But then, finally, it was my turn. I closed my eyes and made my brain forget who they were. I started speaking, and before I realized it, everything had yet to be done. I was relieved.

I rested when the other team members had to speak. I kept listening to them. It was soon known that our side was more likely to lose this time. The competition ends after a bit more waiting. I was not surprised to hear the results because they were very obvious. "Everyone! Now that we have successfully ended our competition, our judges have made a wise decision. This year, not only did we find our winners for the competition but also some talented students who had lost. We would give them more opportunities to work with their seniors so, that our school could beat other schools in upcoming events. So, the winner is the seniors," The announcer announced. I felt very bitter as I fell to my knees. "Hey, Pearl. Don't worry, you did great." Jimmey said it from far away. "Jimmey! Let her go!" Stella shouted behind his back. I stood up to understand what was happening. "You do not decide what I should do, Stella. Everything our parents said, I did it for you." Jimmey replied to her. "Why? Was I never enough? Did I do something wrong?" She said it desperately. "You did not. But for the whole time, he was using you, and you knew that." I said. I was trying to explain what he thinks about her. "That's not fair, I did what I was supposed to do. Can't I love you? Am I not enough?" She asked him. "You can, but I can't love you. I can't deny it." Jimmey said. "Well, isn't that because of that damn bitch, huh? Pearl, pearl, pearl. I knew she would be a problem in our lives. Now, it's your choice. Don't blame me for becoming the villain when you made me the villain." She yelled as she walked away in tears. "You shouldn't actually tell her like that. Now it's all messed up. I do not want to be in trouble or so. Just leave me alone for our own good." I said. Akuma followed where I was heading. I guess everything has turned into a mess.