The Winner Takes it all

CHAPTER 8

Ties that bind

“Good luck, Cali!” Trina greeted me with a warm hug as I entered the classroom.

“Thank you, Trina,” I replied, forcing a smile.

“Break a leg!” she clapped excitedly. “I can’t believe you and Everett are teaming up!”

“Right...” I glanced away, feeling a twinge of discomfort at her enthusiasm.

“What time is your contest?” she asked, walking with me as I set my bag on the desk.

“Any minute now,” I said, my tone flat, revealing my indifference about what lay ahead.

“Why aren’t you more excited?” Trina frowned, confusion knitting her brow. “You love competitions, especially science!”

I stared into space, unsure how to respond. Sure, I felt a spark of excitement, but it wasn’t for the quiz bee. Instead, it felt as if I was already anticipating our victory, a feeling I wasn’t used to. Normally competitive, this time I just knew we’d breeze through.

Lost in my thoughts, a familiar voice pulled me back to reality.

“Calliope, we need to go.”

I turned to see Everett standing by the door, a relaxed smile on his face. My classmates admired him as if he were some sort of model.

I swallowed hard. Why was I suddenly so observant? Shaking my head, I grabbed a pen from my bag, just in case it was needed.

As I approached Everett, I nodded slightly, signaling that we were leaving. I turned to wave goodbye to Trina, who was beaming from ear to ear.

“Where's the competition being held?” I asked. Everett glanced at me, then adjusted his glasses.

Surprised, I felt warmth creep into my cheeks at the sight of him wearing the same glasses as yesterday.

“I asked Sir Alfonso; it will be held in the Comlab,” he replied simply, readjusting his glasses with an air of calm.

I nodded, letting my gaze wander as we walked. Students nearby were whispering, some admiring Everett with wide eyes. A pang of jealousy twisted in my stomach, and I couldn’t help but pout at the thought.

When we arrived at the Comlab, I spotted Alex arranging the computers.

“Hi, Cali!” she called out, her boyish grin lighting up her face as she tapped my shoulder. “Good luck!” With that, she walked away, leaving me slightly buoyed.

Other ICT students were busy preparing the venue. As we stood there, a few students approached Everett to wish him luck. I stole a quick glance at him, noting how effortlessly calm he appeared while I felt increasingly uncomfortable.

As junior high and senior high students filed in, the atmosphere thickened with tension. Our opponents entered, looking nervous yet managing polite smiles toward us and the teachers.

“Good morning, students. I'm Mrs. Ljourna. I’ll be reading the questions for the competition,” she announced in a serious tone. I glanced at our opponents; they were suddenly silent, their tension palpable.

“Let’s begin,” Mrs. Ljourna continued, and the quiz bee commenced. We breezed through the easy and average rounds, but now we were stuck on the hard questions.

Tied with Grade 10 and 12, I locked eyes with Everett, determination sparking between us.

“Since both teams are tied, this will be your tiebreaker,” Mrs. Ljourna said, her voice steady. “Describe the process of nuclear fission and its role in energy production.”

I rolled my eyes, frustrated by the question. Everett chuckled at my reaction.

As Mrs. Ljourna counted down from ten, we both scrambled to formulate our answer. Just as time was called, we wrote down our response, confident it was correct. Meanwhile, our opponents struggled to finish, leading us to victory.

Although I didn’t feel ecstatic, I was proud of how far we had come. I turned to see Everett, who was now happily bouncing beside me. Just then, a flash of light caught my attention. A camera.

Alex grinned at me, giving a thumbs up. I stood there, momentarily frozen, staring blankly at her.

“Congratulations!” other students approached, shaking our hands, including our opponents. I returned their smiles, shaking hands despite the mix of pride and disappointment in the air.

Remembering my own past struggles, I shook my head, trying to push away negative thoughts. Everett and I had worked well together, and that was worth celebrating.

We posed for photos as the teachers documented our win. Stepping outside the Comlab, I was surprised to see Trina hopping toward me, her face radiant with joy.

“Congrats, girl!” she exclaimed, enveloping me in a tight hug. We both beamed, and she quickly congratulated Everett too.

I turned to him, catching his smile. I tucked a stray hair behind my ear and adjusted my glasses.

“Congratulations to us, Cali,” he said, grinning and extending his hand for a shake.

I hesitated, considering my next move, then gently took his hand and shook it.

As I raised my gaze to meet his, we locked eyes, the moment hanging between us.