Rose was in her classroom, surrounded by her classmates, a whiteboard marker in her hands. They were all eagerly awaiting the start of the upcoming sports day, as they were given the task of customizing their sportswear according to their respective team colours, and Rose had just agreed to take on the challenge of spearheading the task.
"Okay, peeps." Rose began, "We have three days to get this done. I suggest we start by dividing up the tasks. The Magenta team will participate in all court games, the Lilac team will participate in all track events, the Turquoise team will participate in field activities, and the White team will partake in the swimming competition. So, let's break it down from there."
Her classmates nodded in agreement, and Rose could feel her excitement building. She had always been a pro in everything, and this was her chance to lead her team to victory.
"Okay, so for the Magenta team, you guys need to focus on getting the right equipment for all the court games. You'll need to get volleyballs, tennis balls, and whatever else is needed for each sports event. You will also be required to practice; Andrew and I will be in charge of the supervision to make sure we're ready for the big day."
The Magenta team members nodded in agreement and began to discuss their roles.
"Great, now for the Lilac team, you'll need to focus on getting the right gear for all the track activities. We'll need to get batons, eggs, spoons, and whatever else we need for the other races. You guys should also practice your handoffs and coordination to make sure we're ready for the big day."
The Lilac team members began to discuss their roles as well, and Rose could see that they were all starting to get into the spirit of things.
"Next up is the Turquoise team. We'll need to focus on getting the right equipment for all the field activities. You guys will need to get long jump pits, javelins, and whatever else is needed for the other events. You should also practice your forms and techniques to make sure we're ready for the big day." The Turquoise team members began to discuss their roles, and Rose could see that they were all starting to get excited too.
"And finally, for the White team, you'll need to focus on getting the right gear for all the swimming events. You'll need to get swimsuits, goggles, and whatever else we need for the other events. You should also practice your strokes and turns to make sure you're ready for the big day."
The White team members nodded in agreement and began to discuss their roles as well.
As everyone became immersed in their various conversations, Rose felt her excitement build even more. She knew that they were going to win this year's sports day, and she couldn't wait to see what they could accomplish together.
With the tasks now shared, Rose left her classmates so they could decide how to complete their roles. She and Andrew had other important things to think about, Andrew was the class president and he was equally driven, if not more than she was.
Nathaniel and Grace sat with their teammates, trying to decide who would participate in which game during the upcoming sports day. Nathaniel had always been a sports enthusiast, but Grace had never really been interested in sports. However, seeing the enthusiasm of her classmates, she decided to give it her all and contribute in any way she could.
"Okay, so we have to decide on the participants." Daniel, the Lilac team leader said, "Starting with the baton race we need four people and I'm one of the forerunners; who else is interested?"
Talia, Ambrose and Jordan raised their hands. Daniel gave them a satisfied smile; happy with the ongoing progress.
"I'm not a fast runner, so can I volunteer to do the egg-and-spoon race instead?" Taylor asked and Daniel nodded.
"I would like to volunteer for the egg-and-spoon race as well." Michael added. Everyone knew he had a thing for Taylor, he always followed her around like a dog on a leash.
Grace thought it was cute, but she still felt embarrassed for him. "So, that leaves four of you for the three-legged race; you should pair up to start practising." Daniel advised, as he began to write down their names.
"Vivi, do you mind running with me?" Park asked adjusting his glasses.
"As long as you don't slow me down." She murmured.
Grace's heart sank, she was stuck with Nathaniel again. There seemed to be something about her luck that kept bringing them together.
"I guess that leaves the both of us." Nathaniel whispered to Grace. "You don't mind running with me, do you?"
Grace hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure, I'll give it a shot.
The other teams continued to discuss who would participate in which game, with everyone eager to contribute and do their best for the team and their class.
Everyone was out on the field practising, the sun shone brightly but not too hot, and some birds settled on the big trees that were at the edge of the field. Nathaniel and Grace tied their legs together, as they got ready for the three-legged race. The other team members were practising on their part of the field. Grace bent down to retie her shoelace when she heard Nathaniel's voice.
"You are trying to avoid me, aren't you?" At first, she was taken aback by his accusation, then slowly she realized that it was quite obvious.
"I'm just kind of curious, are you like that to the others or it's just me?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She feigned ignorance.
"You're not always like that with Rose, you smile a lot, and you don't look at her like you look at me." The hurt was very evident in his voice. "Rose is my frie–" he interrupts her sharply.
"I just want to be your friend too. And if it's about the first day we met, I already apologized to you. I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to make you feel bad. I didn't know my actions were disrespectful." His voice was so low that if she hadn't been listening attentively, she wouldn't have heard him.
"I'm telling you that it's not about that!" She snapped, angry at the fact that he was being annoyingly persistent.
"On my mark, get set, go!" Nathaniel called, at first, they stumbled a bit, struggling to coordinate their movements. But as they ran, they found their rhythm, their strides matching perfectly. They could hear their classmates cheering them on, urging them to go faster.
They continued like that, from one end to the other, until their movements became synced. Grace could feel a slight sense of anger from Nathaniel; he seemed frustrated.
He was interested in Grace, he liked her and wanted to be her friend. And it made him deeply hurt that she wanted nothing to do with him. With that being said he didn't have any right to be angry with her.
Daniel smiled at the improvement of his team, "You guys are doing very well, I'm proud of everyone."
Nathaniel noticed Grace's forced smile, but he didn't know what to make of it. Maybe she was just like that, she might simply be an introvert. Nathaniel bent down to loosen the rope he had used to tie their legs.
"So, is what you have been struggling to tell me, the fact that you do not like me?" He asked.
Grace was taken aback by Nathaniel's question, and she struggled to find an appropriate answer. In actual fact, she didn't have a particular reason for disliking him – she just couldn't seem to stand him.
"I don't know." She finally replied. "I just don't think we have much in common, that's all."
Nathaniel sighed. He had been hoping for a more honest response, but he decided to let it go. "Alright, I'll never bother you again." He said walking off with the rope in his hand.
There was an unsettling feeling in Grace's chest, she just couldn't tell him her weakness. It wasn't his fault that she wasn't comfortable around him.
After school, she resumed her job as usual.
The odd thing about the day was that… Nathaniel never came by the pizza shop. She glanced at the chair he usually sat in, it was occupied by another customer and his girlfriend. They were discussing happily and smiling from ear to ear, and it made Grace wonder if one day she would also be comfortable enough to be around a man and have a relaxing relationship.
Maybe if a day came when she would finally find her courage, she could give Nathaniel a proper explanation and an apology. But…The question was when? How soon? And would he forgive her?
She continued her work, hoping to see him waltz into the shop with a dumb smile on his face, as usual… But he never came.