Who is my Soulmate?

sOmEtHiNg NeW????!?!?!?!

"CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" Devin held his hands to his mouth. He was pacing in circles, almost seeming to drip pools of sweat onto the ground. His smile was bright, showing off his white teeth and black braces.

Justin just yawned, leaning back into Devin's couch and looking down at his phone. "Okay? I don't get what the big deal is."

"THE DEAL IS THAT I GET TO COMPETE WITH DEVINIE!"

"Wait, the chick we saw at the arcade?" Justin sat up from the couch and looked concerningly up at Devin. "Since when were you into her?"

Devin blushed, a red tint coating his cheeks. "I'm not bro!!! I just think it'll be fun, that's all."

Shaking his head, Justin stood up. "Well, no use thinking about it now. Didn't you want to go to the Conrad challenge awards ceremony and get inspiration?"

Devin nodded his head, recalling the task they needed to set forth. "Right. Let's get going."

-

Devin and Justin hopped into Justin's blue Ferrari, a token of appreciation his Dad had given him for winning the school's decathlon. The seats were firm, dark leather and the dashboard had a wooden exterior. Turning on the engine, it revved instantaneously, almost appearing excited as the two backed out of Devin's driveway and racing into the setting sun. 

Putting on High Hopes by Panic at the Disco, the fast melody drove them forwards to their destination, a giant lit-up theatre. Blaring music was coming out of the building and neon pink lights were shining from within the building. By this time the sun had already set and the sky had turned dark, paving the perfect background for the lights to dominate the sky and take up the view. 

Not wasting another second, the two pulled open the steel double doors, ending up inside a hollow theatre with many tables, chairs, and a lot of people. A long rectangular table was in the back with a bowl of punch and a few snacks presented in bowls and on cutting boards for guests to eat. There were different people of all ages, specifically many white-haired, elderly fellows who seemed to be investors. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's all be seated to hear the winners of the Conrad project for 2022!" The crowd roared, claps dominating the sound in the room and forcing Devin and Justin to plug their ears. Not wanting to disrupt the ceremony, the two quickly found seats in the back, having a perfect view of the stage. 

"First, let's give a round of applause to those who made this possible, lets's give a hand to the judges and sponsors for this event!" Claps went around the room again, the lights beginning to dim and the music turning off completely.

"Alright, now let's present: the 9th-10th grade category winner, Troy Mecha, and his teammate, Mark Zhang!" The black curtains pulled back to reveal a tall boy with blonde hair and bright red lipstick. He raised his hand in the air, his pink acrylic nails not being unnoticed by Devin, nor the crowd. It definitely suited his outfit: a white tuxedo with a dark pink tie. The other boy had dark black hair and black eyes. He was wearing a regular, black suit with a white tie.

Two people stood up in the back of the crowd and whistled, people who Devin assumed to be Troy's parents, judging by the hair color. He was curious to know who the 11th-12th grade winner was. Maybe he knew them.

"And finally, let's present the 11th-12th grade category winner: Devinie Hal!" The stage now empty, the girl with a green crop top and black leggings walked onto the stage, her hair curled slightly to emphasize the features of her face. Her lips were pursed and her eyeliner was done perfectly straight. She was the same as Devin had seen earlier, except, her eyeshadow was a light green color.

Devin couldn't clap, he was so shocked. Justin kept shaking his shoulders, but nothing registered. How was a girl at his school so accomplished? He just couldn't comprehend it. 

-

Somehow, Devin had managed to get out of his chair and stand next to the doorway. He wasn't sure what compelled him to stand there and wait for Devinie, but he wanted to see her. Congratulate her, at least. Justin stood loyally next to him, his eyes shifting nervously back and forth. 

"Man, what if Jerry comes, dude. You're so screwed." Justin was right, but Devin couldn't care less. There was something strong compelling him to stay, and he wouldn't disobey. 

After a few minutes, Devin caught a green blouse moving through the crowd. It was her! Moving away from Justin and the door, Devin walked as fast as his legs could carry him through the crowd, hoping he wasn't too late. 

"Devinie- Devinie- wait!" Grabbing her tanned arm, Devinie spun around, her strong eyes throwing Devin off. She had a large, gold medal around her neck and a few pieces of paper in her hand. 

She crossed her arms and bent her knee slightly. "If Jerry sees you here-"

"Can I have your number?" Devin blurted out, his eyes widening once he realized what he had just said out loud. "For the tennis competition, of-f- cou-rrse?" His stammered voice caught him off guard. He had never acted this way with a girl before...

A quiet laugh came out of Devinie's mouth, the edge of her mouth uplifting into a subtle smile. It was sweet, and Devin couldn't wait until the next time he saw her smile. "Sure. Anything else you wanted to say?" 

Devin couldn't resist smiling himself. "Well, of course, congratulations on your win! I was going to enter into the same contest next year. Maybe an alumni can help me out...?" He winked, causing Devinie to smile more, her white teeth showing through the small crack in her smile.

"Haha, maybe. Here." Devinie extended her hand, her iPhone already open to the contacts page. Devin put in his name, phone number, and even took a selfie for good measure. He also shot himself a text from her phone so he would have her details.

"Thanks, Devinie. We'll be in touch, I hope!" 

Devinie nodded, her black hair vanishing in the crowd as she walked away. He was a little disappointed to see her go, but he knew this wasn't the end of the night.