The Deal || Luke Hemmings

School Fair

Luke

The question that stuck to my head for the rest of the week was this: Why couldn't she accept my apology that way it was?

Fine. I might be exaggerating. She did--but her brother had to appear halfway, making her ask that I leave.

One thing's for sure: now is definitely not the right time to try and explain myself any further...

for I was already being shushed by the rest of the people in the large crowd.

I had originally stepped into the campus grounds today with the feeling of resentment.
And nothing had changed after that (except for the fact that that feeling might have gotten even stronger as I kept walking).

Anyway, as I trudged along, whining to myself earlier, I had managed to get a glimpse of Ashton. He sat by himself, completely unoccupied. I think he saw me as I was about to say hello, but he grabbed his earphones and placed it into his ears, pretending nothing happened. And in that moment, he was occupied.

It was a pleasant way to start the morning.

I was wondering if Calum would be present today, since he was feeling a bit ill just a few days ago.

If he didn't make it--knowing him, he wouldn't miss this for anything.

I had sworn I had seen Michael going around too, but then that person who I mistook for Michael greeted me, which was naturally something Michael wouldn't do, at least, not today.

Getting bored, I began to look at the paper I was holding to make sure that every word written on it was ingrained in my mind.

"You haven't memorized it yet?" I heard someone ask me from the back.

"I have, but," I looked up to see a boy who clutched his giant bass guitar just like a little girl holding her teddy bear. "Hey, you made it."

"Knowing me? Wouldn't miss the thrill."

"I thought you weren't feeling well."

"Who says I don't right now?" he replied with a shrug. "I just couldn't resist performing."

"Even if people hardly hear you?" I snickered.

He grumbled and held his bass guitar closer to him. "People pay attention to the bassist too...I think," he scrunched his nose, looking like he was beginning to doubt himself, then said, "Well anyway, I'm guessing you're excited, lead singer."

I hesitated for a while before I could say anythng. "I--uh yeah. But I'm a bit iffy about the third song though."

"I think you should be worried about the first song more." he replied.

-

And now going back to when a group of people shushed me.

I couldn't help but make side comments as I watched the two groups in front moving around quickly while beads of sweat trickled down each of their faces. This was like watching an episode from Master Chef.

But that's exactly why it made it more entertaining than the two dance groups that performed earlier. No one wanted to watch the people before, except...maybe their friends. But their friends only brought out their phones and to take videos of the dancers who looked like they were all going to die of first hand embarrassment. A lot were watching the cook off mainly because Tommy Fletch was the main attraction. I saw people praying that his hair, for once, would be spared. There was no need for it, for he had already learned from the past and gotten a buzz cut.

I held unto my guitar while watching, just as Calum did with his bass.

"Okay," the host, who was the teacher who had made this event, commented as the two groups in front barely listened. "Just five more minutes to go. Better wrap up!"

I knew five minutes would paas by quickly.

And it did...when it became five seconds.

"5, 4, 3, 2, and 1!" the host said, and the buzzer went on. "Wasn't that intense?" he spoke as the two groups shot him dagger eyes. "Please present your dishes to the judges here on the right. Winners will be announced at the end of this program."

I was now sweating furiously and I bit my lip, waiting for the next thing our teacher would say.

"Now we'll have a fifteen minute break," our teacher said as everyone else around me heaved a sigh of relief.

But I frowned.

It's always the worst for the people in last few groups. We had to wait for everyone else in the different classes to finish doing what they had to do while we watched them, nervously hoping that they would take a whole day to finish.

"Guess it's only us and that girl group over there," Calum sniggered. "I wonder what they named their band anyway."

"The Squeeling Cockroaches," I told him. I had been thinking of that for some time already and never thought that they could name their band anything else. Calum slapped his thigh and laughed at this as he told me how one hundred percent accurate it was.

When he finally stopped laughing, his face became dead serious and said, "Well, mate. You know, we've got a fifteen minute break...

"And so?" I waited for him to go on.

"I think it's best if we meet up with the rest of the band members."

"That's if we can find them," I said. They were most likely scattered around, not wanting to converse with each other.

"Right," Calum nodded after. "But I think I know where they-" He looked like he was about to say something else, but maybe he decided that it was best to keep his mouth shut instead.

-

"Break time's over everyone," the host announced excitedly. "Now for the moment you've all been waiting for!"

And at that moment everyone was looking at us. All the people who previously performed or did something similar onstage had their eyes on the us and the other group.

"It's time for the Battle of the Bands."

-

Tommy Fletch is back tho

-God Bless!-