Few days passed and then came the day of my debate competition. I was fully prepared and pretty much confident about my speaking skills. It was just a piece of cake for me. I entered the district community hall. I saw some familiar faces and went to greet them.
"Iris, are you here for the competition also." asked a girl who came suddenly out of nowhere.
"No, I am here for research on anxiety issues among birds." I replied sarcastically
"Oh really" she replied with a bit of anger in her tone.
Whole group burst into laughter but they knew my nature. I liked to answer stupid question with sarcasm.
"Please be sitted, the competition will start soon." the lady standing on the stage addressed the audience.
All the competitors sat on their respective seats. Miss Eliza, our teacher sat next to me and on the other hand Samuel sat besides me. Sam was my partner who would speak in favour of the topic and was my one class junior.
"I hope both of you are fully prepared. Look there is nothing to be stressed about. It's just a competition." she told us while tapping her one foot on the floor. "Look if you feel stressed just breath deeply, start doing it." Miss Eliza instructed and we do exactly what she said. "Inhale deeply and hold your breathe for a few seconds. Now exhale slowly. Let your mind be stress free. Lets do it for 5 times more."
"Now let's begin the debate competition and all the best to all the competitors. Let's call upon the stage our first group from St. Jacob's High School, Miss Nancy and Thomson." said the host. "Oh! so her name is nancy. " I murmered to myself that finally I found the name of the girl who approached me earlier.
She started, "Destiny can be in fully control of a being..." Her speaking skills were good but it looked like she was a robot who was just bluffing which was fed into her memory. Her partner speech was also good but not that remarkable. The second team was pretty good but their material was not upto the mark.
"Now we would like to call upon the stage the third team of the competition from St. Xavier High School, Miss Nora and Soren." That was the same school of that boy. I looked upon him and he was the same guy.
All the sounds which were hustling in the hall. Seemed to be stop for the very moment. He was standing all right maybe he was all healed. The oval rimmed glasses look so cool on his face. His deep voice filtered all the sounds in the surroundings. While he was expressing his views randomly our eyes met. That very moment I experienced an electrifying sensation all over. And he stopped.
"Why he stop so early?" I questioned to Sam.
"No, he isn't early, he completed within the time range. Buckle up, now it's our turn next."
"Yeah, all the best.
Now it was our turn on stage. The first one to spoke was me and I started enthusiastically. But in the mid of my speech, might be unknowingly or knowingly, my eyes laid on him. His eyes were wide opened, it was not when he was on stage. Those pair of eyes reminded me of our past encounter.
"Iris, speak up. Don't stop in the middle." I heard a voice. What happened is that I forgot to speak further. I finished the rest of the part and hurriedly got off the stage.
"Oh my god, What I have just done? No it was not supposed to be like that. How can I face everyone now. Why this embarrassing thing happened to me and that too in front of him. Oh god he should not be thinking that I am a weird girl right. Uhhh! What to do? My years of reputation just fade away like some sand in hand." I murmered to myself.
"It's okay, sometimes you win sometimes you learn. It's completely normal to forgot in the middle of the speech. You should not feel down for such trivial things. Just remember you are awesome. You may lose this one but there are more chances in the future." Miss Eliza comforted me with her sweet words. But was I really upset for losing the competition? hell no. I was more disheartened about my tarnished image in front of him.
"Miss, you should not console her. Due to her we lost this competition which was just a piece of cake for us in the beginning. You should take the blame in front of the teachers." Sam marked in chiding voice.
"I am sorry for the lose. I will bear full responsiblity. Miss please excuse me." I said with a straight face.
I left the hall and went to the room where drinking water was arranged. I was moving forward with my head down and then suddenly someone offered me a bottle of water.
"Here, this is for you." Soren said in low yet deep voice making his lips straight like he was similing. At the same time my inner thoughts were, Oh my god is that his smile. His smile is so damn addicted. But foremost he is talking to me. That means he doesn't find me weird. I was so much happy at that time. That all the negative emotions that overpowered me fade away.