Hopeless Romantic

17. Fall

The beginning of winter marked all the calendars of students with all kinds of festivities, and competitions.
Rio was heavily invested in the Mock UN competitions that took place between all the schools in the state. Her talent gave her a command over other students that wished to participate in it as well. She interviewed all the candidates and got herself a team of fully capable delegates. She left one spot however, assuming Oscar would join the team as well. He didn't approach her and was interested in other playful events.
Rio got impatient and asked him herself then, "Do you want to join the UN Team?"
"Huh, I thought you had everyone"
"I figured you would join"
"I don't know I really don't like to talk that much or argue as a matter of fact"
"You do have a knack for arguing and making your point."
"Do I?"
"Yea, look I can't force you to join, but I feel it would be a good experience for you as well"
"I'll think about it"
"Okay, let me know by tomorrow"
"Done"
Oscar saw Rio walk away and into her class where all her members had assembled for their meeting. From the window on the door, he peeped in and saw a Rio he had never seen, the commander. She fluently managed all of
them, let all their opinions on the discussion table and dealt with them accordingly. He didn't want to look like a stalker so he walked away quietly and headed back home. Classes had been shortened for the festival period and students were allowed to leave whenever they wished, the festival was an important one.
We walked back home, a smooth breeze flowed by and blew on our faces.
"Do you think I should join?" he asked me.
"You could if you wanted to"
"Yea, but should I?"
"I can't make decisions for you Oscar, unless of course you're way too over your head to do so yourself, which you aren't at the moment"
"Don't, just tell me if I should or no"
"That's literally what I'm not going to do"
"Oh, yeah"
"Okay I could make it easy for you to make the decision yourself."
"That would help"
"So, for instance, what are you going to get out of this?"
"Um experience?"
"Is it worth it?"
"I mean it would be, plus I would get to work with Rio which is an added bonus"
"I'm pretty sure that last part would be your main objective and the experience is your added bonus"
"Haha maybe, plus from all these months, I learnt a lot from her, so she knows her way around these kinds of things and it would be better to join under her guidance"
"And spend time with her"
"Would you stop it, it's nothing like that" he blushed while making a sour face. I didn't even know it was possible to do that.
"Anyway, you know now"
"I know what I have to do, I don't know if I have the strength to do it."
"She knows you do, she saved a spot for you because of it"
"Wait she did that?"
"Your ignorance is a bliss isn't it"
"No, its not"
"Call and tell her now"
"Yea I will"
He spoke to her on the phone, she didn't seem surprised or excited about it, it's like she knew he was going to join. A mind game if I daresay, she successfully won.
The next week they headed to the school that was organizing the competition. All the delegates were dressed in formals. Boys and girls in three pieces that were colour coded for every school , the white shirt was a common wear for all the participants. The most handsome person on the huge stage was Rio, she stood out wearing a three piece just like the boys, and wore it better than them. Oscar was visibly starstruck. Whenever he thought she couldn't surprise him anymore, she did, and he always welcomed it.

Oscar was nervous, it was a large crowd and spectators had also started arriving gradually. Rio walked up to him, put in her earphones in his ears, played his songs and signaled to him, everything will be fine, relax. Oscar calmed down, applied some of his pocket deodorant and joined the rest of the team as they lined up for the introduction of the representatives from each school.
The rounds started soon enough.
Rio began with the delegations, the others followed up with their points. Every school made really good points, although I never really got the whole concept. It looked very real and judicially right. Oscar did his best; he didn't stumble or miss any of his points. Carried out his role very well.
Our school came third, it wasn't much of a celebration for us. The Award ceremonies were quick, we all got certificates and a 12-inch cup that Rio received along with the leaders of the schools that bagged the first and second positions. They congratulated each other. Rio began conversing with the leader of the school that came first, Roland. A bright tall boy who had a very charming allure altogether.
Rio tried her best to keep the teams' spirits high by giving a speech. It didn't help as much as the words "Dinner is on me" did.
They went to a Steak House that was on their way back to town. A beast Oscar was unleashed in there and had to be stopped or he would burst open like a pinata. As they all lightened up and had their meal, Rio walked out of the restaurant and sat on the pavement outside. Oscar noticed it and followed right behind. "What are you doing here, come back inside"
"I just need some time alone, processing today"
"Oh okay, mind if I join?"
"Alone I said"
"Too bad" as he sat next to her.
"Ugh, fine"
"This was fun wasn't it"
"It was, but I really wanted to win this"
"I'm sorry I should've tried harder"
"Its okay you did what you could"
"Yea the opponents were too good"
"Especially PS 38, those guys were there to destroy"
"Their leader was so confident all the time, even during the awards he came upto me and said I could've done better but that he was the best
"Obnoxious guy"
"Kinda cute though"

Oscar's heart plummeted.

He wasn't sure if Rio felt the same for him, but her talking about another guy, it made a cut right in his chest. He tried to maintain himself and replied, but his voice got shaky, "I don't think so"
"Yea you wouldn't know, girls have different radars for cute guys"

Another slash on his chest.

"Sure, um I'm going to head inside, and tell the other we need to leave soon"
"Yeah, it's getting really late"
Oscar walked in barely managing to breath normally, you could see his face had turned white and his breath was heavier. Rio walked in a few seconds later and made them head into the bus that was arranged for them by the school.
It was a silent ride home, everyone was tired. Oscar and Rio sat next to each other but didn't say a word.
After the bus dropped us as close to home as possible, we walked back the rest of the way. It was just Oscar and me and he had a mopey face which didn't sit right with me.

"You know you can't control her feelings right"
"Yea"
"And she's free to like anyone she wants"
"Yea"
"Then why are you upset over this"
"She shouldn't have said that to me"
"Who else would she have confided in; you are her friend and she trusted you enough to open up that way."
"You're right I shouldn't overthink this, she told me she has a crush on a guy, it's a big deal for her to tell me that"
"And you should support her now, love isn't about making what you love yours, that's possessiveness, what it really is that you find happiness in her moments of happiness and support her when she isn't."
"You sure know a lot of things"
"I'm just here to help"
"Thank you, I'll do just that"
We reached home and Oscar slept off the minute he plopped on his bed.
Oscar went through a lot of new experiences and I prayed that he was strong enough to survive the aftermath of it all.