The Assistant Who Fell | Asa Butterfield

Chapter 30 - Table Salts

Chapter 30 - Table Salts

Today was Thursday, the day when we would find out the winners for the track race. I sat anxiously on the seat while shuffling my pencil in between my fingers, thinking about the limitless possibly that Ace and I could win this challenge. I mean, I do have a positive feelings about this, it's just that there's a small percentage that was nagging at the back of my head. Ace on the other hand was talking cheerfully with Kyle and Reece, seemingly not caring about the result, which pissed me off.

I didn't realise that I shuffled my pencil a little too fast, that it flew out of my fingers and landed on the floor next to Ace's seat. He noticed it flying and ducked down to pick it up. He looked around the classroom to return to its possible owner, but didn't rotate his head three hundred and sixty degrees to even know that my presence was right behind him. I rolled my eyes and tapped on his shoulder.

Ace turned around fully to face me, "This yours?"

"Yep." I nodded, taking the pencil off him, "When do we start?"

"I dunno; Oi when do we start?" He replied and asked his peers.

"In a couple of minutes. Why? We all know you're gonna win anyway." Kyle said.

"I'm right here you know." Reece piped in monotonely.

Kyle shrugged, "Oh yeah well you're both are smart and stuff, but who knows?"

Ace chuckled.

"Right." I said, pursing my lips.

Why does no one ever acknowledge that I did the project as well?

Like I said before, I'm not that stupid.

Kyle turned to me, "Oh yeah, you too."

I sighed.

"Well, whoever wins they deserve it, because in the end, everyone worked hard to be here. Am I right?" Ace said.

"So I don't mind if we win or lose, it's about the team effort."

"Since you said that, does that mean no hard feelings bro?" Reece said.

"You're not meant to cheer for the other team Ace!" I retorted. Okay forget about feeling anxiety when your supposed partner doesn't feel about being competitive.

He only smiled amusedly, "Don't worry Ivy, we got this."

✈️

"Drumroll please."

The sounds of the thunderous claps echoed within the classroom as the students excitedly thump their fists onto their desks. I was too lazy to do that, so Ace made sure to do his part extra hard to make it up.

The teacher had already drew first, second and third places with no names yet on the whiteboard. Students looked up at him expectantly and I could tell they were all anxious to know.

"Right!" The teacher exclaimed, "I have these stick-on labels of group names to put on the board, and I'll start with third place to keep you waiting."

Students groaned.

"Lift up your humour tens." He gruffed.

I swear teachers have the bad ones sometimes.

"Third place!" He started, "Is... Ryan's team!"

Shouts of congratulations and groans erupted within the classroom as the five boys stood up and high fived each other. Ryan, among the five, raised his hands up and down in a "raise it up" gesture, yelled up, "Bow to me!" to the students, in which the teacher had to forcefully calm him down. The rest of the four either stood up on their chairs and cheered victorious or just did a silly dance.