"I know you don't know me, but please can you just switch positions with me for this one time. I promise I'll repay you back with whatever thing you want." Bob said, placing both of his hands together in a pleading state.
Honestly, Alex would have jumped at this offer at the first sight. But the person before him was saying he would grant him anything he asks for, somehow, this doesn't sounds right, and Alex didn't feel too obliged to accept the offer.
From his past life, he has met several people, those who promise to be there, those who promise to stand by his side if things turn sidewards, but during those times, they were nowhere to be found. From those experience alone, he had said in his mind never to trust anyone, if they make a promise, what is the probability that such promise would be later fulfilled? What makes them certain of the successful execution of their promise when they could just cease to exist at anytime.
"Come on man, there must be something you want. I promise, I will give you anything you want. Is it money? Job? House? Land?" Bob said again.
It's not that Alex doesn't have something he want, in fact, he's in a dire need of money that he has been constantly thinking of how to obtain back his safe from where he hid it. But the way this person was talking, although he was saying all these, he didn't sound too confident. There was a chance this was all a lie, just to achieve what he wants to accomplish.
If he was to request for a large sum of money from this stranger, what assurance did he have that he would be able to fulfil his promise. He had no idea who this person was, neither did he knew how hefty his financial status were.
He didn't want to lose out on this offer either, yet he wanted to keep this person's mouth shut and away from him. That made him thought of a question, a question he needed an answer to badly that would determine his next course of action.
"Why exactly do you not want to be the first person?" Alex asked, his brows furrowed a little bit.
"That… that's because… I just don't want to be the first to go out on stage." Bob stuttered shakingly as past memories flooded his mind. "I usually develop a stage fright and get nervous anytime I stand before a large crowd, but that could lessen if I see other people perform before me."
"I thought you were here to perform and show everyone your special talent. You want to win the contest and become the next superstar artist, how are you supposed to do that when you can't even go out first on stage, make the first step, be the first person. If you eventually become a Superstar artist, will you be pleading for other rival artists to switch with you when you're meant to perform first?"
Bob sulked in his seat as he heard the harsh words coming from Alex. It felt so harsh, but deep inside him, he knew it was the truth. He has always been afraid to go first in life, it was almost as if he was cursed or something. Every time he tries to be the first, he always end up becoming the last. But now that he heard Alex speak, a new hope had came over him. He suddenly got the will to go first, to do things first, to become the first.
Standing from his seat, Bob strolled down the hall, walking all confident towards the administrating lady before taking a seat in front of her.
"Name?" Gwen asked.
"Bob Lewis." He replied, his voice sounded so confident unlike how shaky it was before.
"Alright Bob, so what part are you participating in? Drama, Music or Dance?"
"Dance." He instantly replied, which surprised Gwen a little.
"You're a dancer?" Gwen uttered.
"Yeah, I'm a great dancer. A very skillful one." Bob answered with a smile on his face.
"Well, time will tell. By the end of the day, we'll see if you're really a great dancer or not. I guess I now know why your boyfriend fell for you. Even I would love my boyfriend to be a dancer."
"What do you mean?" Bob wasn't understanding the context of Gwen's words, and what she meant by him having a boyfriend.
"What I mean is that, you are number 201. Go over to the arena and sit in chair 201, once it gets your turn, your name will be called. So, off you go."
"Wait, why did the number started from 201? Shouldn't role numbers start from 1?" Bob said, his voice was raised a little higher that it had managed to gain the attention of everyone in the room. Now all eyes were on him and Gwen.
"Of course role numbers starts from 1, but I decided to give you 201, since you wasted my precious time romancing your boyfriend. And what's with the yell, do you plan on beating me?"
Gwen expected an annoyed gaze to stare back at her, an angry tone or a slam on the table, but surprisingly none of this were happening, in fact, it was the opposite of what she was expecting. She could see Bob smiling so widely that the corners of his teeth could almost be seen. She had planned to disapprove Bob's participation form if he ever raised his voice or shouted back at her, but it appears that Bob was quite happy with what was given to him, leaving Gwen confused and surprised at the same time.
'Finally, I didn't get to perform first!' Bob shrieked excitedly in his mind as he stood from his seat and started heading towards the stage arena.
Gwen was left staring at his back in awe and disbelief that she hadn't noticed Alex coming over to sit in front of her.
"The name is Alex Gene and I'll be singing for this contest."
But while sitting down in front of Gwen, Alex started to think in his mind.
'He said I would bring him luck and was attended to firstly, but he didn't want to perform first so he was given a middle position, should I call that luck or what?'