My Little Mind Reader

17. Competition

Wayo's POV

The Moon and Star Competition is finally here. I wasn't that nervous about getting up on stage. I'd had to deal with much more stressful situations in my life, but I did want to do well and make my father and my faculty proud of my efforts.

My biggest concern was Ming. He was a bundle of nerves. He wasn't really worried about the competition or getting up on stage. What had him tied up into knots was the fact that both of his parents were coming, with their new spouses.

Ming hadn't lived with either of his parents except for short visits in the last eight years. Ming's unhappy family life was eased by knowing that he could always depend on my father and me. He knew that to us, he was a son and a brother and we loved him no matter what. But that didn't make his love for his parents any less than it had been when he was a child. He still wanted their love and their approval. The fact that both his mother and his father, along with their current spouses, would be coming to watch the competition, made him anxious.

Relations between the ex-spouses were still very tense. If they couldn't be polite to each other and caused a scene, Ming would be embarrassed. Even if they all behaved themselves, Ming desperately wanted to do well in the competition, so that they would be proud of him.

"How do I look?" Ming asked, for probably the tenth time in the last five minutes.

"You're perfect, Ming," I responded with a little bit of teasing. "If I weren't your brother, I would totally do you."

"Really?" Ming asked, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Okay, listen, you look great," I responded patiently. "You know your part. You're going to do a great job and most likely win this competition."

"Do you think so?" Ming asked hopefully.

"I'm 98.7% sure of it," I said.

"So for that other 1.3%, am I going to get first runner up or not even place?" Ming starts fretting again. He's pacing up and down, which is starting to make me nervous too. Kindness and teasing aren't working in this case, so I have to resort to shock.

"Stop!" I said, turning his face to look at me and holding him in place. "Take a deep breath and listen. I'm being really serious right now."

"Okay," he answered, trying to focus on me.

"If you don't win today, everyone will hate you," I said as straight faced as I could manage. "I will never speak to you again. You will be so depressed that you will drop out of school and become a hermit. Your whole life will be ruined."

"Yo!" Ming shouted, finally starting to smile just a little bit. "You're supposed to help me."

"You don't need to do anything to be loved," I smiled at him, seeing that he was finally feeling better. "You're perfect just the way you are. No matter what happens, I will always have your back."

I gave him a big hug and Ming returned it, laughing while a couple of tears worked their way down his face. "Thanks, Yo. I love you too."

Forth's POV

The Moon and Star Competition was pretty much exactly what I expected. Ming and Yo were both amazing. They did so well during the dancing and introductions. Ming's Muay Thai show was really cool. He came out in the traditional outfit, without a shirt on. An entire group of ladyboys near the front kept fanning themselves and squealing. A bunch of girls were chanting his name. There was definitely drool involved.

Yo was like an idol. He walked on stage in dark jeans, a black shirt, and a red jacket with his guitar. But instead of sitting on a chair, he sat right on the floor at the front of the stage with a hidden mic. He sang in a clear, strong voice. He was really talented. I think some girls in the audience actually screamed until they fainted, but they were definitely not the only people screaming. I may have permanent hearing damage.