"So, whom did you get as your partner?" Tony asked Nick, hopping onto his desk. Tony had already told Nick via text that he also got selected.
"Wait, have the partners already been assigned?" Nick asked.
"Yes. They texted mine a while ago. It's someone by the name 'Victoria Lockhart'."
"Do you know who that is?"
"Not the slightest clue."
"Let's check her out then," Nick said in excitement and opened his phone. Then he typed the name 'Victoria Lockhart' on the search engine which yielded zillions of results. It appeared that there were too many Victoria Lockhart to choose from.
"They might have given you her contact details or some relevant information," Nick said. "Otherwise it's impossible to choose your partner from this exhaustive list."
"Let me check," said Tony and took out his phone. "They have shared the link to her profile created on the contest website it seems."
"Thank goodness. We should have started with that."
Tony clicked on the link and reached Victoria's profile.
"She is twenty-one. She lives in the South district." Tony read aloud. "She goes to the Weber college of business and management. She is 'Gemini with the heart of an Aries', whatever that means. She is supposed to be some sort of social media model. Here are the links to her accounts on popular social media platforms."
After browsing through the links, Nick and Tony discovered that Victoria Lockhart was a popular figure on the internet. She had at least a million followers on each of those platforms. Although it wasn't a surprise that they never heard of her before for their immense lack of interest in social media platforms. They would rather watch a movie or read a book than spending hours looking at a random girl's photos.
"She looks like a real deal!" Nick said with excitement. "There's no way you are going to lose the next round. Congrats in advance!"
"I just hope so," Tony shrugged, although he looked pretty happy about it.
Rita was passing by to leave the class when Nick called her and asked, "Hey Rita, did you pass?"
Rita gave them a puzzled look, so Nick clarified, "The popularity contest."
She smiled and promptly replied, "Oh, I did not register for it."
"Really?" Tony was surprised. "You must be crazy for not shooting for that one million dollars!"
"I might be," Rita smiled. "Did you guys pass?"
"We did!" Tony screamed in joy putting his arms in the air.
"Good for you. And good luck for the rest of the contest."
"Thanks!" Nick said. "Good luck is all we need."
"Hey, we are trying to form a 'Nick and Tony's fan club'. Would you like to become the first member? It's super cheap for early birds."
"And what are the benefits I would get in return?"
"When one of us wins the contest and becomes super-rich, you will be showered with money."
"What's the guarantee that you will still remember me after becoming a star?"
"Of course, we will!" Tony cried. "And even if we don't, how can you deny these cute faces."
"Sounds like a fair argument. Okay, I am in."
"Great. You are now officially a member of the 'Nick and Tony's fan club.' We can count on your vote then."
"Rest assured. Unfortunately, I am not very popular and have very little friends, just like you guys, otherwise, I would have promoted you two wholeheartedly and convince others to join the fan club."
"It can't be helped that you are unpopular too," Nick said.
Tony banged the table dramatically and said, "Did you just imply that I don't have many friends? Listen, young lady, when I win this contest, and become a star, I will earn enough money to buy more friends than anyone ever had on social media accounts."
"I bet you will," Rita said and laughed.
"You just wait and watch!"
Rita waved at them and walked away. As soon as she left, Tony said, "She seems like a great person. You should hold onto her."
Nick pushed him away and said, "Shut up!"
"What? I haven't met that violet haired chick personally, so I can't comment on her. If she also turns out to be great, I don't know how you are going to choose just one from them.... Unless you decide to keep them both."
"I think we have already talked about this."
"What, that they are your friends? Bull crap! I think you like one of them but you just don't know it yet."
"Very sweet of you to be worried about my love life, but if I find a girl, what will become of you?"
"I will take my life with a broken heart and unrequited love."
"Drama queen!" Nick murmured and smacked the back of Tony's head. Then Tony gave him a flying kiss, in reply to which Nick said 'Eat shit!' and walked away. Tony also collected his belongings and followed after his dear friend.
"So, you went through the first stage, huh?" Cynthia said releasing a gust of smoke. "Congrats."
"It's all thanks to your doodle I guess."
"Maybe, maybe not. Have some self-confidence, buddy."
"Haha, that's the part I am most weak at," Nick said with a dry smile.
Cynthia took a long puff of her joint and said, "So, what are you going to do if you win the money?"
"I will spend it all on my mother's treatment."
"Thought so. And then?"
"I'll appear in the next Mr heart movie, and hopefully that kickstarts my career in the show business. Then I will get to earn a lot and I will buy a huge house for ourselves. I will also gift my mother whatever she wants."
"What else?"
"I will travel across the world, see how others live their lives at other places. I will see the mountains, the Oceans, the deserts, the clear, unpolluted sky."
"And?"
"And send you to an art school."
Cynthia started laughing at this holding her belly. She laughed so hard that tears came into her eyes.
Nick felt offended by her reaction.
"I am serious!" He said.
"Yeah, why not!" She replied sarcastically.
"I am not kidding, Cynthia!"
"Dude, you are not even going to remember this conversation when you sober up tomorrow morning."
"You think I am saying this just because I am high. I am not. I am aware of what I am speaking about."
"Enjoy your trip, dude. Forget about me."
"You know that I consider you as a friend of mine and I want you to have a better life."
"You have mentioned it before. But our lives are not that rosy and sugarcoated, Nick."
"What's stopping you from going to an art college? You are a free human being, right?"
Cynthia shook her head. "There are chains that we cannot see, Nick. Only when you try to push forward, you find out that they are there."
"But if you keep pushing forward, won't you break out of them?"
"Some ties are unbreakable." Cynthia sighed. "Let's not talk about this anymore."
Nick wouldn't stop yet. "But anything can be bought with money. Anything!"
"So you are implying that you will own me when you become rich?"
"If that's the only way to make you free from those people, then I guess I will."
Cynthia was usually good with temperament as she had to deal with customers far worse than Nick, but at that moment she lost her head.
"Listen buddy, you will not talk to me like that, ever again!"
"Hey, why are you getting so worked up. I am just trying to do you a favor."
"I don't need your favors, Nick. I am not your friend. I sell you weed and that's it! Nothing more than that."
"Cynthia, calm down."
"I am leaving now," she said throwing away her unfinished joint. "And let's not meet for at least a week."
"Cynthia, wait...."
Cynthia was determined not to listen to him anymore that night, and perhaps for a week to come.
"Cynthia!" Nick shouted. He was too high to chase after her.
Cynthia had already walked away.
Nick was walking back to his home in fumbling steps. He was supposed to be happy; the smoke of marijuana should have momentarily got rid of all the anxieties and troubles from his head. But after the little fight he had with Cynthia, those terrible things came back to him, like a bunch of annoying bugs. He did not understand why Cynthia was so upset with him. He was just trying to help her out. No, he wasn't capable of doing that yet, but at least he had the intention to do so in the future. He bet no one else promised her the same thing he did, no one else cared about her as much as he did. And still, she acted like he meant nothing to her. Why was she acting so high and mighty? Why would she get upset over something like that? The more he thought about it, the more he felt resentment towards Cynthia. He had known her for quite some time, but she had never behaved to him like that in the past.
Well, screw Cynthia! Nick thought. If she doesn't want my help, why should I bother? If she doesn't want to see my face for a week, then neither do I!
He brought out his phone to check the time. It was way past midnight. Also, he had one unread message.
It was from the contest organizers.
He opened the message that read:
Dear candidate, you have been paired up with Julia Ambrose for the second stage of the contest. You are required to meet up with your partner as soon as possible and upload a picture of yourselves on the contest website. Following is the link to her account on our official website-"
Julia Ambrose? The same Julia Ambrose who went to the same middle school as me?
But there are zillions of other Julia Ambrose in this city. What are the odds that she is the one I am thinking about?
Nick kept the phone back in his pocket and moved on.