章 47: Writing for victory
[Monday, Registration]
"I HAVE GOT A GREAT IDEA!"
Once again Sean had entered the classroom, almost late, screaming about another hit game he has come up with for us. What'll it be this time? Chess? Some sort of card game? Maybe something involving physical movement and getting tied up in a knot. Perhaps we plan to summon some sort of demon and serve him for the rest of our lives. Maybe we need to collect six stones? The possibilities are endless.
"Let's have a competition!"
"Say what it is first, then we can say if we are in or not." I said.
"Writing competition!"
A writing competition? That just sounds like a way to make this more confusing than it already is. Writing inside writing, talk about meta.
"Sure." It's only writing, how hard can it be?
"I'm also in. I already know what I shall write about." Ethan seemed pumped and ready to go. Hopefully, he loses. Not to be harsh but I hope I win this.
"Are we going to have a theme?" I asked. I want us to all be on equal footing.
"Nope, Go for whatever you want. As long as it is less than 500 words it is ok. Let's say, we have 10 minutes and then we read them all out loud."
Got it, Seemed fair. I'm pumped for once. Let's do this! Except. What do I write about?
# # #
Time went by so quickly. They were both writing for the whole 10 minutes, crossing out tons of lines whilst I sat thinking for the whole time. I guess I'll have to improvise, once I hear both of their stories I'll think of something.
"Ok, who wants to go first?" Ethan asked.
"I shall as it was my idea." Sean was confident as usual. I hope it is bad.
"I call it, The Little Boy Who Wished."
What a great title. I didn't know we needed a title. I better come up with something, fast.
"One day, there was a young child. He sat at home every day whilst his mother cleaned and his dad worked. He always dreamed of being something bigger but he never knew what. The boy always enjoyed watching TV and letting his imagination run wild. He would often get bullied by the kids at school for standing out and being too active, but he just wanted to join in with the rest. One day he came home to find his mother laying on the floor, passed out. The boy ran up to her, screaming and crying, unsure of what to do. The mother told the boy not to worry as everything will be ok. In her last breath, she tells the boy that she wishes for him to grow up and become a footballer. The boy shocked that his mother had just died in front of him takes her advice and becomes a footballer. The end!"
What a touching story. I'm not sure I fully understood it but Ethan is crying so he clearly understood something.
"Ok." Ethan said wiping away the tears. "I shall go next."
"I'm a little nervous." Ethan's face was annoying me. He hadn't even started reading but he already looked as if he had won, his bottom lip was sticking out with confidence. Whatever he was about to read is probably going to be cringy.
"I call it, Forbidden Love."
Ok, this is going to be stupid.
"A boy lived in isolation by a dock.
Before him, appeared a goddess, unlike anything he had ever seen.
She stumbled along in rough clothes and socks.
Wanting to explore a place she had never been.
The boy approached her with a smile.
The conversation started and laughter shortly followed.
They spent some time together to make it worthwhile.
But she had to depart and the boy was now hollowed.
The next day he noticed the girl,
Across the dock with someone new.
He watched from afar, looking at a pearl.
Who smiled brighter than yesterday, he knew it was true.
He left eventually which he thought was smart.
He had watched for hours, his heart felt torn.
He couldn't understand the feeling inside his heart.
But by the end of it, he wished he had never been born.
Thank you for listening."
I-I don't know what to say. Compared to Sean, this is something else. not only did he decide to do a poem but both me and Sean are in tears. I was expecting something funny, that I could insult him with, but now I'm choking on my tears. The whole class was listening to him and gave him a standing ovation. The teacher was ready to resign and give her job to Ethan as he was clearly the man for the job.
"Owen, you are last."
How can I compete with that? I should have gone first. If I had known Ethan was doing a poem I would have gone first or at least made Ethan go last. Now anything I do will suck in comparison.
"Ok. I call it, I Regret Everything (and should have gone first)."
"Well, this is going to be depressing." Ethan whispered to Sean.
"Shush. I can hear you. I'm trying to read my story."
"Sorry, Sorry. go ahead."
"Thank you.
One day there was a child who was abandoned by his loved ones. He survived on his own for many years. He made himself breakfast. Went to school. Studied. Everything he did by himself.
To his class, he was something perfect. He was seen as an inspiration to who everyone should look up to.
But on the inside that isn't true. Every night the child stays up till 4 AM wishing he would fall asleep. Wishing the pressure would leave him.
As school exams approached he kept up his act. He worked his hardest and made sure no one worried about him. But back at home, he was studying for hours. Overworking himself every night just to make sure he passed.
He cries himself to sleep from the stress that had taken over him. Entering the only place he felt safe; inside his dreams.
He wished to sleep every night and live life easier than his own. He wanted to be someone better and greater and to live in a more interesting place. He found himself sleeping in on the weekends to escape his life which quickly turned into him sleeping in on school nights.
He worked nonstop until the sun rose and slept for 12 hours skipping lessons he once adored. Exams came and he showed up on time. Having not slept the night before his mind wanders. He continues the stories he created in his head, ones of which he is a superhero, a life better than his own.
The results came out and his scores had dropped. The teachers and students worried but there was nothing they could do. There was nothing he could do. He wanted to live a better life. But he didn't realise that this was the life he would miss."
"Well. Ok then. That's depressing."
"Sorry. I didn't know what to write so I kinda just wrote whatever popped into my head."
"Well, one suggestion." Ethan spoke, politely and slowly, as if he was worried about me. "Don't ever think again. Just don't. Keep your thoughts to yourself and don't think again, please?"
What was wrong with him? His love poem was just as sad. He isn't falling anyone we all know who his poem was about.
"So who won?"
They were all pretty good. I liked Sean's surprise plot twist and suddenly killing off the mother character but Ethan's poem got some emotions out of me and the class. Not to be biased but mine was something else. If I don't win then this vote was rigged.
"Ok. Let's write our votes down and see who wins."
I think I know who I'll vote for.
"Don't vote for yourself though. That would be cheating and make you look like a fool." Sean suggested.
We all finished writing and were ready to turn it over and reveal it.
"On 3! 1...2...3!"
We turned the paper and I immediately noticed that Sean had voted for Ethan, just like me.
Ethan had voted for Sean. I got zero votes.
"Hell Yeah! I won! You LOSERS! Get destroyed! I am the king at writing! You all Suck!"
He only won because he cheated and wrote a poem. I should have written a poem. If only I had the experience he had. If only my chances at love were as slim as his It would have been perfect and won.
"Hey," Ethan suddenly stopped his celebrations to stare at me. "I bet you are thinking something rude about me just now."
Damn it! He even knew that I just insulted him! What has the world come to?
"Don't worry, Owen. I liked your story."
"R-really?" Sean was the light of hope for me. I knew I could always count on him to be there for me.
"What was your favourite part?" I asked.
"Errrr… Well… You know… The part… About the… cat?"
"YOU DON'T EVEN REMEMBER!"
"I remember!" Some random dude in our class shouted across the room.
Great, my story was only remembered by minor background characters. What an awful existence I live.
"Well, your story was just depressing. Why would anyone want to vote for something so depressing."
"Right!" I stood up out of my seat, knocking it back with my rage. "Ok. Let's have a class vote. They were all listening so let's let everyone vote! It's only fair."
"Fine, but stop complaining when you lose."
We re-read all the stories to the class and sometime later they all finished voting. The teacher was counting up all the votes and wrote them all down on the board in front.
"HECK YEAH! 16 VOTES! STILL FIRST LOSERS! SUCK IT!"
His poem got 16 votes. What? I-i... I don't know what to say.
"I'll take 9 votes."
Sean got 9 votes. He still came second. Which means. I'm still last.
how many votes did I get? Was it close?
ah... I got 1 vote.
Only... 1... vote.
My pride and joy... 1... vote.
"I... I admit defeat."
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