Slow and Speedy Win the Fight

61. Perform

Haresa

No matter how many times I posed for a camera or stood on a stage, I always could feel my throat slowly close up from nervousness.

The arena was worn down from use as I could see brown splotches of what seemed to be residue from some sort of fire blasts. The bleachers were filled to the brim with enthusiasts and family and friends of the participants that stood behind a thick plastic wall to protect them from the potential oncoming dangers. It reminded me of a hockey rink except instead of ice and nets on the opposite side of the crowd, it was an elevated boxing ring and a microphone for the host.

The kid's hero event went off without a hitch as the crowd cheered for the eleven-year-old kid who held up his plastic trophy in triumph. The kid's parents were ecstatic as they posed for pictures.

I began to walk towards the backstage area to prep for my own match. I could feel my stomach twist and I thought about picking up a snack from one of the nearby vending machines.

The past week felt like a blur while Sheldon got ready for the event and Rudra had even pushed back their date so that it would be after the event. I wonder if he was watching the event at home with popcorn in hand or was going to watch it after it was all over.

"Haresa!"

That was when a familiar voice jolted me out of my thoughts and I stared at a breathless Rudra.

"Rudra, how did you get back here?" I asked.

My eyes focused on a dangling red lanyard around his neck and my nose scrunched up in thought. I didn't remember giving him that.

"Sheldon was able to get me a backstage pass," Rudra beamed. "He said he couldn't think of giving it to anyone else and he didn't want it to go to waste."

I try not to let the fact bother me too much that Sheldon had given Rudra a pass. Rudra hadn't mentioned that he was already going to the event when I brought up the possibility of getting him a pass. He only said that he was supposedly good and didn't explain himself.

"Well, that was nice of him." I felt the strain of my lips as I tried to smile but if it looked unnatural at all, Rudra didn't notice. "Were you making your way to see him right now?"

"Yeah, one of the security guards told me he was hanging out in the third room on the right but I got lost." Rudra smiled sheepishly. "So, uh..."

There was a pause and I could feel it was my cue to speak. His eyes glanced at me expectantly and I let out a small shaky breath.

I cleared my throat. "I can lead you there, I've been here a few times to know the ins and outs of this place."

"Thank you!" The last word he said was stretched out as he wrapped his arms around me.

"What are friends for?" I patted his back as he pulled away from me.

"Let's go!" Rudra excitedly said as he ran off before me.

"You're going the wrong way!"

--

After I dragged Rudra in the right direction, I found myself awkwardly standing by the door entrance as I watched Rudra excessively flirt with Sheldon.

Sheldon didn't seem bothered by it but he also didn't seem to recognize that he was being flirted with. He replied to all of Rudra's remarks earnestly and with some confusion when he didn't completely understand what Rudra was saying.

"But what does it mean?" Sheldon asked. If his eyebrows were raised any higher, I swore they would've flown off his forehead.

"Forget it," Rudra laughed nervously. "It was just a cheesy pick-up line."

"Pick-up line?" Sheldon looked even more confused.

"What people do when they're bad at flirting," I said.

"Hey! I'm very good at flirting! Sheldon just isn't the right target audience for my brilliance," Rudra scoffed. "It's okay, though. It just makes him cuter."

"I just want to know what you meant by 'saving you and a seat for dinner.' What does saving have to do with me?"

"Well, you're in the hero and villain industry so I thought it was just a cute little line."

Sheldon seemed distressed. "But I'm a villain."

The back and forth went on for long enough that I decided to sneak out of the room.

I felt the bumps of the brick wall against my back and tried to focus on how cold it felt instead of the oncoming match.

When was the last time I did a show off? I was still a kid back then.

I rubbed the area under my ear in an attempt to relax my jaw.

"Saenin?" Lyra looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Was this where you were hiding the whole time?"

My posture straightened and my hands dropped to my side. My jaw was locked up again but it didn't stop me from speaking. "What are you doing here, Lyra? I thought you would be too busy to attend the event."

She had a clipboard in her arms and she held it with both arms like someone would with a child. A pen was tucked neatly under the clip part and I could see that her hand wanted to reach towards it and write down whatever thought she had.

"I only came here briefly to extend my congratulations to you as well as wish you luck for your match but I couldn't find you in your dressing room." Her tone was clipped and I could see the irritation start to seep out from her stony expression.

"I was visiting a colleague but thank you for the thought." My hands were folded behind my back and I watched her process what I said, her eyes darting to Sheldon's room to me.

"I'll leave you with your preparations." She tapped her finger against the clipboard. "We can discuss future events you will be involved in."

My eyes flickered downwards and I began to think of ways to get myself out of the competition. Maybe I could fake being sick or an injury.

"Also, if you find yourself needing any medical assistance at any point," Lyra added. "We have an on-site medic that has healing powers. She can only heal minor or non-life-threatening injuries so everything can and will go smoothly."

I silently cursed under my breath. "Good to know, thank you so much Lyra."

My smile was so wide that it probably looked like I was dying but she only gave a nod of acknowledgement before walking away.