Reaching for the Stars

Chapter 24: Fighting Own Battles

It was a special day for them.

Tom was up even before his alarm went. He almost threw his bag as he went inside the backstage. Today was sure to be the most challenging day in his life. He was going to present his essay in a national conference, and he was invited to this conference, nonetheless.

He had to postpone his internship registration back on campus, but his decision was supported by his profs, even his dean. It was faculty tradition that at least one of the students went to a national conference, and this year it was him. He went to Hampstertown University in another part of the country to present his essay.

However, he wasn't nervous this time—well, he was nervous but not as much as the provincial conference. Max was here.

Max was here.

Finally, he could prove that he made it to a national championship, whatever the form.

Sadly, Max wasn't going to watch him because he had a friendly match at the same time of his conference. However, that made Tom feel determined and proud. They were fighting their own battles, but despite that, they were not alone.

He was determined to win this conference. He had done his best in compiling his essay, even as far as doing mini-research. The participants were free to choose the topic, so he selected one that seemed mundane but most impactful.

"Loup, you can do this. I believe in you!"

Martin's words only made the fire inside him burn even more brightly. But he had to calm himself and not rush anything.

He sat down on the available chair. The other participants seemed anxious and worried, but not him. He looked at the stage and let out a sigh.

This was not his campus, but he made sure to conquer it.

"Please welcome our first contestant, Thomas Luis Purnama from University of Barrowisle!"

He stood up, a sharp and determined look in his eyes. Martin cheered for him and escorted him to the small stairs.

Tom didn't look at the crowd; he kept his head straight to the podium. Only when he was at the podium did he look at the crowd and flashed a smile.

It was as if Max himself cheered for him.

"Good morning, everyone." He started with a smooth tone. "I'm Thomas Luis Purnama from the University of Barrowisle. Currently I'm in the seventh semester, so the suffering is going to end soon."

The crowd rumbled a small laugh.

"During my study in the university, I have encountered many things that I have never encountered before. One of them is friendship. Friendship seems to us like a trivial thing; everyone surely has a friend, right?" he paused. When the crowd focused their attention on him, he continued. "You might be asking, Tom, have you never encountered friendship before? Of course I have, but it is in university did I find real friends. Let's talk about what a friend is, why do we have friends, and what kinds of friendships are there."

He clicked the controller, and the presentation advanced to the next slide. At that moment, he remembered Martin, Max, Octo, Lucy, Andy, and all the others that had supported him until this very moment. Taking a deep breath, he started.

"To put it simply, friendship is formed when two or more people create a bond of emotion between them. It's a by-product of our evolutionary history, when being together meant a better chance of survival. It still means a better chance of survival, since one can depend on true friends. Friendship is a result of prolonged contact and communication which formed an emotional bond."