I woke up from a strange dream, one that left me feeling unsettled. In it, I was walking through a foggy, deserted street, with only the distant sound of footsteps echoing around me. Suddenly, I found myself standing in front of a towering, ancient door. I reached out to open it, but just as I touched the handle, I woke up.
Shaking off the remnants of the dream, I gathered myself and got out of my comfy blankets. I quickly got ready and headed for college. The classes started early today, and as usual, I had no clue when the elections for class representative would be held. The teacher mentioned they would take place this week but didn't specify the exact day. They seemed to want to surprise us, making sure the candidates were adaptable to change.
,
Classes went by quickly, and just as I was about to enjoy my break, the teacher summoned us to the auditorium. As the entire class filed in and took their seats, the teacher announced that the election would begin now. All the candidates were to deliver their speeches.
I was taken aback. I hadn't even considered that today might be the day. To be honest, I preferred my energy-conserving way of life and had little interest in the role. Competing with the intention to lose seemed like the best approach.
A lottery decided the order, and I was slated to go last second. The first candidate stepped up and delivered their speech, followed by the next. As each person spoke, they became more comfortable and confident, having had more time to prepare. Some took their time, and by now, the audience seemed increasingly bored.
As I waited for my turn, the anxiety of the situation built up. It felt like the worst possible moment,
As I walked onto the stage, I couldn't help but wonder about the curry I'd had last night. Just as I was about to reach the microphone, my foot got tangled in a wire, and I ended up bumping my nose against the mic. A loud thud echoed through the auditorium, and I felt my face flush with embarrassment. I'd wanted to lose, but not like this. The entire room was now staring at me, and I needed to say something to salvage the situation.
With a forced smile, I began, "Well, I guess I'm starting off with a bang! If anyone needs a demonstration on how not to use a mic, just ask me!"
I chuckled, "At least that's one way to get your attention."
"Hey everyone! I'll keep this short. If you elect me as class rep, I'll guarantee every guy gets a free high-five from me—or at least a motivational speech. And for the girls, how about a free massage? Just kidding, I'm not that skilled. But I promise we'll have plenty of laughs. I'll do my best to make sure our year is fun and free of boring meetings because, frankly, I don't like them either. Vote for me, and I might even sneak in some free attendance when the teacher isn't looking. Let's make this year memorable. Thank you!"
The room erupted in applause, and I was relieved to see that my spontaneous speech had done the trick. I hadn't planned to give a great speech, but I had to make up for the initial blunder. Besides, with promises like those, I doubted the teacher would take me seriously. So, it looked like I might have just won this one.
After I walked off the stage and headed back to my seat, the next candidate brushed past me. She seemed familiar, so I glanced back.
Oh, that's Rena—the girl I bumped into on my first day at college. I hadn't realized she was competing too. Rena looked effortlessly stylish, wearing a chic, knee-length dress in a soft pastel color with a flattering fit. Her hair was neatly styled into loose waves, and she had a warm, engaging smile that immediately drew attention. She exuded a confident, approachable aura that made her stand out.
As Rena finished her speech, the teacher came onto the stage and began speaking. "Great job to everyone who stepped up so quickly! I wanted to see how you'd adapt, and you all did well."
"But I must say, I'm particularly impressed by one of our candidates. Knowing the audience was getting bored, he intentionally stumbled and hit his nose with the mic to grab attention, then delivered a funny and engaging speech. Right, Ashan?"
The teacher turned to look at me. I muttered, "Yes, sir, you're right," while wondering what on earth he was talking about.
"That's quick thinking!" the teacher continued. "The last one was fantastic too—clear and concise. Well done, everyone!"
For a moment, I was a bit confused by what the teacher was praising me for. I agreed that Rena's speech was full of charisma and confidence. Her words had sincerity, reminding me of someone else I knew. It was clear she would win this election by a landslide—her performance was leagues above the rest. Well, at least I was happy for her.
We returned to our class, and the teacher mentioned that voting would be done during the last period. I didn't care much about it; I was considering heading home early. However, Jee stopped me.
Since I had been skipping a lot of classes lately, I figured I might as well stay for the last period.
Classes went on, and it was time for the final period. The teacher entered the classroom and handed us a piece of paper, asking us to write down the name of the candidate we wanted for the position of Class Representative. Everyone filled out their papers and submitted them.
I voted for Rena.
After counting the votes, the teacher began announcing the results, starting from the lowest number of votes. Surprisingly, my name hadn't been called yet, which made me increasingly anxious. When they finally announced my name, I had received 24 votes—a significant number out of 66 students.
To my relief, Rena's name had not been announced yet, so she had won the first place, which was almost a shock. But then, they called Rena's name with 24 votes too.
It was a tie.
"Why me?!" I screamed internally.
The teacher pondered how to resolve the issue, and just as I was about to stand up and forfeit because I didn't want the responsibility, someone behind me suggested, "Sir, why not just do rock-paper-scissors?"
The teacher agreed, "Sure, that sounds like a good idea."
I wondered if our college was going to be okay...
As Rena and I stepped outside for the duel, I approached her and whispered in her ear, "I would only do paper."
Rena looked at me with confusion, but I was determined to ensure she'd win. I was ready to put this whole ordeal behind us.
With a smile, I prepared to end this nonsense. The teacher raised his hand, and we all chanted in unison, "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
I gave a paper sign, just as I had said.
But... Rena chose rock.
"Faaaaqqqqq," I thought in disbelief. How could this happen? I had clearly said I would choose paper. Why did she choose rock?
As the teacher prepared to announce the results, I made a last-ditch effort. "Sir, can we make this a three-round game?" I asked.
The teacher looked at me with surprise. "But you already won. Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Yes, sir," I said. "I feel it's only fair to decide it over three rounds."
"Well, if you're okay with it, then I'm fine with it too," the teacher agreed.
Somehow, I managed to convince him. Rena looked at me, clearly shocked. I pretended to adjust my shoe and whispered, "I'll only use paper."
I hoped this would make it clear that I wasn't trying to play mind games. If I had wanted to, I could have won earlier. I just wanted to end this farce and be done with it.
We prepared for the next round. As everyone shouted "Rock, Paper, Scissors," I chose paper again, hoping Rena would see that I was being honest. But when I looked up, Rena had chosen rock once more.
What the heck?! Why is this happening? Is she doing this on purpose? With this absurd event dragging on, I ended up being the class representative. Goodbye to my easygoing life...
Rena was soon appointed as the Assistant C.R.
I returned home, exhausted and frustrated by the whole ordeal. Just thinking about it made me tired. I collapsed into bed and soon drifted off.
Later, I told Tsula about the incident. She laughed uncontrollably as I recounted the ridiculous details. At least I was glad she could find humor in it.
The next day at college, I was asked to bring some supplies to the classroom before classes started. Rena and I headed to the supply room to gather what we needed.
As we carried the supplies, I decided to bring up the previous day's events. "So, what was up with the rock-paper-scissors game yesterday?" I asked.
Rena looked at me with a hint of a smile. "You played dirty," she said.
"Dirty? I didn't want to become the class rep, so I said I'd choose paper, just like I said," I replied.
"Then why did you even compete?" she asked.
"Because the teacher wouldn't let me withdraw after I mistakenly signed up," I explained.
"Oh," she said, understanding.
"So, what were you thinking when you picked rock?" I asked.
"Well, when you whispered to me, I was so surprised that I thought it was a bluff. So I went with rock. But after the second round, since the teacher had extended it to three rounds, I thought maybe you didn't want to be class rep and would use scissors. But when I saw your 'evil smirk,' I panicked and chose rock again."
"'Evil smirk'? I was just born with that face, you know," I said with a chuckle.
"Well, I guess you're one of those smart idiots," I teased.
"What does that even mean?" she asked, both curious and amused.
We continued our conversation as we walked to our class, sharing a laugh over the whole situation.