Alicia's room echoed with the relentless beeping of her alarm. She groaned and reached out to silence it, her hand fumbling clumsily until she found the button. Still craving sleep, she nestled back into her blankets, but the peace was short-lived. The door creaked open, and a woman's voice filled the room.
"Are you going to get up or not?" her mother asked, the tone a blend of firmness and affection. Alicia whined, pulling the blanket over her head.
"I'm still sleepy..." she mumbled.
"It's the day of your contest, darling. Get up and get ready."
"Oh right," Alicia said, sitting up abruptly as the fog of sleep lifted. She stretched her arms wide, trying to shake off the remnants of drowsiness. Her mother left the room, and Alicia made her way to the bathroom, but not before something outside her curved, arched window caught her eye. The sunlight was streaming in, casting a golden hue over everything. She walked over, opened the window, and let the fresh morning air fill the room, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds.
"What a nice scenery to see in the morning," she murmured to herself with a smile. She headed to the bathroom and took a quick, refreshing shower. Minutes later, she emerged wrapped in a fluffy white bathrobe. She stood in front of her closet, contemplating her outfit for the day. After some deliberation, she chose a white blouse paired with a light blue denim skirt with a slit. Once dressed, she admired her reflection in the mirror.
"It looks pretty," she said, grinning. Suddenly, she remembered she needed to eat or risk being late. She hurried downstairs where her family was already seated for breakfast.
"Come on, darling. Let's eat already," her mother said, her eyes warm. Alicia sat down and was delighted to see her favorite dish, calamari, on the table. They chatted as they ate, but soon the time came for her to leave. She slipped on her white shoes, grabbed her white bag containing her paper and pen, and headed out the door.
At the bus station near her house, she waited only a few minutes before the bus arrived. She boarded and took a seat at the back, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. The ride to school passed quickly, and as she arrived, she spotted a familiar figure sitting at the front of the school.
"Elijah!" she called out. The boy turned his head and stood up, a teasing smile spreading across his face as he approached her.
"Took you long enough," he said, making Alicia roll her eyes.
"Ehem, ehem, the bus will leave in a bit," Ma'am Vanessa said from behind them, startling both.
"What? Will you just look at me? I know I'm beautiful, but please don't just look at me and move already," she added, making them giggle.
"Let's go, Alicia," Elijah said, grabbing her hand and running towards their service bus.
"Kids these days are really something else," Ma'am Vanessa muttered with a smile as she followed them onto the bus.
Alicia and Elijah chose seats next to each other, with Alicia opting for the window seat to enjoy the breeze. The bus started moving, and the wind made Alicia's hair dance, prompting Elijah to laugh at her childlike delight.
They arrived at their destination, and the loud music from the contest amphitheater made Alicia's heart race. Sensing her anxiety, Elijah patted her back.
"You will do great," he said, offering a reassuring smile. They got off the bus and made their way to the amphitheater. The music, though lively, sent shivers down Alicia's spine. They found seats, and in a few minutes, the starting program began. A girl took the stage and sang "An Art Gallery Could Never Be As Unique As You" by mrld. After her performance, the speaker addressed the crowd.
"So now, our starting program is officially done. You may now proceed to all of your category rooms," the speaker announced. Alicia's heartbeat quickened again, but Elijah was quick to comfort her.
"Just think of winning and making your coach proud, okay? You can do this. I believe in you." His words bolstered her confidence. She stood up and joined the line of contestants. The sight of eight people ahead of her made her stomach churn.
In their assigned room, she was shocked to see a familiar face—Leija. Their eyes met, and Leija's expression turned apologetic. Alicia quickly averted her gaze and sat down, trying to focus.
The proctor entered, carrying a stack of fact sheets. "Now, you have 1 hour to write your article. No cheating allowed." She distributed the sheets and set a timer.
Alicia read through the fact sheet, looking for details to include in her article. She began writing her introduction, body, and conclusion, marking the end of her article with ###. With ten minutes remaining, she glanced at Leija, who was just two chairs away.
The proctor announced, "Time's up. Pass your papers and articles, finished or not." Alicia handed in her work and gathered her things. She was almost at the door when Leija called out.
"Alicia, let's talk." The sound of his voice made her freeze. Memories of past trauma flooded back, and she quickly walked away, ignoring him.
As she exited the contest room, she saw Elijah and the unknown boy together, setting up their cameras. She approached them.
"What are you doing? Are you guys not done yet?" she asked. The unknown boy looked at her coldly, while Elijah greeted her with a smile.
"You're done writing?" Elijah asked, and Alicia nodded. She glanced at the unknown boy, who was focused on his camera.
"We'll probably finish in a few minutes. You can go back to Ma'am Vanessa for a while," Elijah suggested. Alicia nodded and was about to leave when the unknown boy spoke up.
"Are you guys friends?" he asked Elijah, who nodded. The atmosphere around them was quiet until Alicia broke it.
"What's your name?" she asked the boy beside Elijah. He looked at her and then shrugged his shoulders, which made Alicia curious.
"Okay, I guess? I'll get going then," she said to both of them, and Elijah waved at her. But her attention was drawn to the cold, nonchalant boy who remained focused on his task.
Later that afternoon, dark clouds began to gather. Alicia was at the canteen, buying a snack when the first raindrops started to fall. By the time she stepped outside, the rain was coming down in sheets. She stood under the canteen roof, watching the downpour with a mix of frustration and fascination. She had forgotten her umbrella and didn't relish the thought of running through the rain.
As she debated what to do, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the unknown boy standing next to her, holding an umbrella over her head.
"Don't do that, you'll get sick," he said, his voice calm and steady. Alicia stared at him, her surprise evident.
"Tha-thank you..." she stammered. They walked together in silence, the only sound the steady drumming of rain on the umbrella. Alicia was about to speak when the boy broke the silence.
"Larkhien," he said.
"Huh?" Alicia asked, confused.
"You were asking my name earlier. It's Larkhien." He looked at her, his eyes softening a bit.
"Oh, nice to meet you, Larkhien! I'm Alicia," she said, offering her hand for a handshake.
"Nice to meet you, Alicia," Larkhien replied, shaking her hand with one hand while holding the umbrella with the other.
As they reached their destination, the amphitheater, Alicia turned to him with a grateful smile. "Thank you!"
Larkhien nodded. "Take the umbrella. You might need it later," he said, offering it to her.
"How about you?" Alicia asked, concerned.
"I can manage. Here, take it." He handed her the umbrella, and she accepted it with a smile. She waved goodbye as he ran back through the rain, his figure quickly disappearing into the downpour.
Alicia watched him go, a smile lingering on her lips. The kindness of the boy who had seemed so cold earlier warmed her heart. She held the umbrella aloft and stepped into the rain, feeling a mix of gratitude and curiosity about Larkhien. As she made her way back to her friends, she couldn't help but feel that this unexpected encounter had made her day just a little bit brighter.