Even Birds Have Songs

16. Just For A Bit

*Hazel*

The next morning was okay. It was my first competition day, and I was

feeling so hopeful. I wanted to break so badly.

I started out the day by going to watch Gilbert's first debate of the

tournament. Man, I was so surprised. People say things about him

suggesting he's not smart, or just weird, but he is so smart! I see it

in him! He knows things, he sees them, and he understands things very

well.

I had dragged Charlotte into this with me, but half way through the

round she ditched on me and went to the coffee shop.

The rest of the morning was kinda blurry, cause, I mean... When you

get four hours of sleep and are running off of pure energy from

nervousness, you get pretty tired/dizzy/don't remember much.

I do, however, remember very clearly what had happened later that morning...

I had just gone and given my first speech, during a round. A friend,

or more of a well-known acquaintance, had come to watch it along with

Gilbert. This 'acquaintance' knew all of mine and Allen's past as, he

is Allen's best friend's brother. What he didn't know, though, was

that I no longer liked Allen! He didn't know how it all came down, or

that me and Allen were currently on the "can't make eye contact"

basis.

While I was standing in front of my judges, waiting for them

to fill in their ballots, I wanted to just die.

I could hear all the way from the back of the room, that Erin, the 'acquaintance,' was

filling Gilbert in on the details of mine and Allen's "on-going love."

The love that's actually didn't exist. I was just hoping to high

heavens that the judges were too distracted with writing to hear.

After the round, it was horrible. We could NOT ditch Erin, no matter

how hard we tried. Me and Gil had to text each other; WHILE STANDING

NEXT TO EACH OTHER! ... But the whole time, I felt SO bad. The last

text I got said;

Gilbert: we need to talk

And that was it. After, we created a diversion, I announced I was

going to the bathroom, while Gil said he was hungry and left. That