The trouble maker

Chapter - 10

I went outside from the examination hall with a faint smile on my face, was that even a competition? I can solve those questions with half my eyes closed too.

Since I did nothing but solve Math for the last past week, the first thing I did when I reached home was reading, I can feel my books on the shelf looking at me seductively.

My dad and Mum were confident in me about the competition, they knew how obsessed I was with winning, and I gave my best shot too, but one can never be too sure until proven.

William was the only one from my mates who entered the competition, he said he did not want to but his uncle wanted him to, and it was just today at the competition that I found out he was living with his uncle because his parents had divorced and he did not to live with neither his mum nor dad. Maybe that's why he was not very friendly the first time we met? Because his family was a mess, but who could judge him for it? Now, we've become closer, thanks to the competition, he asked for my help once in a while to prepare for the competition, and that was the start of our friendship.

I haven't seen Alex for the past weeks, not that I cared but it was just kind of strange to not see him around for so long, but I did see Levi and Simon around, they look completely normal, but I heard from some people that Alex had gone away because his father could not get any better and he was the sole heir. But I don't know if that's true or if it's just some sick rumour.

Days elapsed in a blink of an eye, maybe because I was anxious about declaration of the results about the Math competition, and now Ash and I were walking towards the very hall where the teachers were going to announce the Mathematics Queen or King, I think my Mum did a fantastic job on finding me a school where Math was highly valued.

We caught up with Toni and others by the hallway and we all walked inside the hall room together. The hall was filled with the student's murmurs and whispers, I hate the noise so much but what good can I do? It's not like I can go away before the winner is announced.

"Oh, my Goals!" Ashlynn said jumping, I looked at her thinking how exactly humans can feel different things at the exact same moment, there she was jumping as if she was just crowned the Miss Universe, while I stood beside her looking like, I bet a zombie. I could not feel anything anymore, my mates or in general people don't know how obsessed I am with winning, be it a running competition which I am well aware I would be extremely bad at, I would try my best to win if I was ever by anything enrolled.

"What? I'm not deaf." Toni screamed at a shouting Ashlynn.

"Simon and I are wearing both green colour top." Then Toni joined her ridiculous scream. I turned quickly to see where Simon was, I saw Simon, alright but my eyes kept searching and I myself did not even know who I was searching for.

"Look, look." Toni whispered to me as I turned to look where his fingers were pointing, then there I saw Alex. I sighed deeply as I gazed at his restless face, he was sitting with Levi as Levi was saying something to him but he doesn't even look like he listened, he looked like he was in a whole different world. Then Simon went towards them and sat down with them, and he joined in the conversation and he and Levi laughed except Alex did not change his expression one bit.

"Observing much?" I heard Toni whispered in my ears and I jumped a bit, I acted as if I was just thinking about something, "What? I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" He looked at me with his suspicious eyes, for weeks, he was trying to catch me off guard. "Thinking about perhaps, someone with a red shoe?"

"What red shoe?" I asked as I noticed Alex wearing red shoes, and damn, they were beautiful. I swear they were more beautiful than I will ever be, they even look alive, they look so sexy, how could someone have made something so beautiful and yet they were not even breathing. Wait, what was I thinking? Thinking about why a shoe doesn't breathe? I need to get a hold of myself, I think the noise pollution had started to get inside my head.

"Oh, William has already returned from the loo? Let's find ourselves a seat." I diverged the question by pulling him to find us a seat.

My inner demons were fighting inside my head, I fidgeted the whole time when the teacher announce the top 10s. I was too bothered to remember all of the name which was on the lists, but by the time they announced the 3rd position, I could not feel my breath anymore.

"Natalie Norman!" It was followed by the student's loud clap, Natalie went up to take her price, and as she looked at the crowds, I could see a clear image of her, she was not a bad looking person, around average, she had short hair, it was black in colour, she looked very young though, she looked like she was in her early teenage years.

I breathed deeply as the teacher announce the person who stood 2nd, maybe it's me? Maybe I lost the 1st position by just one mark and I was about to cry as soon as I went home? Crazy thought would not leave my mind.

"And the 2nd position goes to..." There was a pause as the teacher looked into the paper consisting of the name. Just say it now, you are making me go crazy.

"Kassidy Black."

A loud clap and a roar of shouting and a lot of noises followed the announcement.

"Ash, who is he?" I whispered in Ash's ear.

"A total big nerd." She answered me.

The teacher was teasing the students a bit before announcing the winner, and those seconds felt like an hour for me.

"So, the person who stood 1st position in this damn competition is..." He stopped and looked at us,

Lord! It was so damn noisy.

"Andrea Devona."

What did he just say? It took me a moment to understand that it was real, I was the winner, even though I had no doubt about it as I was able to solve all the questions correctly, now that I actually won it, it felt surreal. My heart was racing too fast that I was afraid I might have a heart attack, all the heads in the hall looked at me, a loud clap and a thunderous roaring was the only thing I could hear, beside me, my mates, were shouting with all their might, I was almost afraid my ears would bleed.

"Please, Miss Devona come to the stage." I heard the teacher voice.

"MOVE YOUR ASS!" Toni pulled me up from the chair I felt like I was glued at, then I looked at my mates one last time with a heavy pounding heart, and then I walked towards the stage with a feeling I loved the most, the moment of my triumphant.