A few days had passed since Halloween, and although the excitement of that night still lingered in the air, Olivia still hadn't decided what to do with her prize. She had won the right to choose an activity for the three of us to do for an entire day without objections, but so far, her ideas had been… let's say, varied. And by "varied," I mean some were just plain absurd.
We were sitting in Arrillaga, the campus dining hall, surrounded by students chatting animatedly while enjoying their lunches. Olivia had a thoughtful expression as she absentmindedly twirled her fork in a half-eaten plate of pasta. Sack was across from me, distractedly scrolling through his iPad, probably reviewing the formulas we'd need for our next class. I tried to focus on my sandwich, but it was hard to ignore Olivia's restless energy.
"I still can't believe I won," Olivia suddenly said, breaking the silence. "My pumpkin was epic. Even you admitted it, Lindsay."
"Yes, yes, your pumpkin was impressive," I replied, smiling as I took a sip of my drink. "But it's been days, Olivia. Don't you think it's time to decide what you're going to do with your prize?"
"I know, I know," she said, waving a hand as if it were a minor issue. "It's just that I want it to be something memorable. Something that will make us remember this moment forever."
"As if we could forget Halloween that easily," Sack muttered, looking up from his iPad for the first time. His tone was sarcastic, but there was a playful glint in his eyes.
Olivia ignored him and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table.
"I've been thinking… what if we make a movie? A low-budget one, of course. We could use our phones as cameras and film something epic."
"A movie?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of movie?"
"Oh, something romantic," Olivia responded with a mischievous smile, looking directly at Sack. "You know, with deep dialogues, emotionally charged scenes… and a kiss at the end."
Sack dropped his stylus onto the table with an audible thud.
"No way," he said, crossing his arms. "I'm not participating in that."
"Why not?" Olivia feigned innocence, though her grin said otherwise. "It would be artistic. Plus, you two have that… chemistry."
I felt my cheeks start to burn, and I quickly looked down at my sandwich. Thankfully, Sack intervened before I could say anything awkward.
"Because no," he replied firmly. "Don't even think about it, Olivia."
"Come on, Sack," she insisted, giggling. "It would just be a small scene. Nothing too dramatic. We could call it Love at Stanford: The Movie ."
"That title is terrible," I commented, trying to change the subject before the conversation became even more uncomfortable. "Besides, I doubt we have time to make a full movie. Between classes, projects, and exams, we can barely breathe."
"Exactly," Sack said, pointing at me as if I'd just scored an important point. "We don't have time for this."
Olivia pouted, but I could tell she wasn't really disappointed. For her, all of this was part of her usual fun.
"Well, then I'll have to think of something else," she said, leaning back in her chair. "But don't think you're getting off that easily. My prize will be epic, I promise."
After finishing our lunch, we headed toward the science building for our chemistry class. The crisp campus air enveloped us as we walked, and Olivia continued chattering about possible ideas for her prize.
"What if we form a band?" she suddenly suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "We could play a song together at the Frost Amphitheater. You know, like those college bands that play on weekends. It would be epic."
The suggestion caught us off guard. I looked at her, trying to process what she had just said.
"A band?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you even know how to play an instrument?"
Olivia smiled with a hint of shyness, which was rare for her, but quickly regained her usual energy.
"Well… I've been playing the piano since I was a kid," she said, pretending modesty while making a dramatic gesture with her hands. "But don't make a big deal out of it—I'm just an underappreciated virtuoso forced to practice scales for years. My mom said it was my 'cultural duty.' Though, of course, I always preferred composing my own pieces… though most of them ended up sounding like elevator music."
Sack let out a small laugh, and I couldn't help but laugh too. Olivia had a special talent for exaggerating any situation.
"I didn't know you played the piano," I said, still smiling. "Why haven't you mentioned it before?"
"Oh, because it's a delicate topic," she replied with a theatrical sigh. "Every time I say I play the piano, people expect me to be like Mozart or something. And I don't want that pressure. Besides, I'd rather be remembered for my incredible ability to draw caricatures of professors, not my renditions of Für Elise ."
"It's settled, Beethoven," Sack joked, shaking his head. "You don't have to get so dramatic."
"I'm not being dramatic," Olivia retorted, crossing her arms in mock indignation. "I'm just a misunderstood artist. But back to the topic: you, Lindsay, have a beautiful voice, and you, Sack… well, I know you play the guitar."
Sack paused for a moment, surprised.
"How do you know that?" he asked, looking at her curiously.
"She doesn't," I quickly interjected, remembering that first day at university. "But I do. You mentioned it the first day we got to Stanford, remember? I told Olivia."
Sack nodded slowly, as if he'd forgotten that detail.
"Right… Well, yeah, I used to play the guitar. My mom taught me when I was a kid. But I stopped after… you know."
The atmosphere grew a bit more serious for a moment. I knew how much music meant to him, but I also knew it was a sensitive topic. Olivia, however, didn't let the silence linger for long.
"So it's settled," she said, clapping excitedly. "I'll play the piano, Sack will play the guitar, and Lindsay will sing. We'll rehearse a couple of times and then give a mini-concert at the Frost Amphitheater. It'll be epic."
"Hold on a second," Sack interrupted, raising his hands in protest. "I didn't say I was participating. Besides, it's been years since I last played the guitar. I'll probably sound terrible."
"Nonsense," Olivia replied, dismissively waving her hand. "We all have talent here. We just need to practice a little. It'll be fun, I promise."
"I don't know…" I said, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Singing in public isn't exactly my strong suit. And I don't want to ruin it."
"No one's going to ruin anything," Olivia insisted, giving us a warm smile. "This isn't about perfection; it's about doing something together. Something special. Plus, it's part of my prize, and you know I don't accept objections."
Sack sighed deeply, but I could see he was considering the idea. I knew Olivia had a point: doing something creative and out of the ordinary would be memorable. And although we all had our reservations, there was something exciting about the proposal.
"Fine," Sack finally said, shrugging. "But if we do this, don't expect it to be perfect. And just one song. Nothing more."
"Deal!" Olivia exclaimed triumphantly. "One epic song. And I already have some ideas in mind."
"Of course you do," I murmured, trying to hide a smile. "I should've expected nothing less."
As we continued walking to class, Olivia began talking animatedly about possible songs and how we could organize everything. Sack seemed more relaxed now, even smiling faintly as he listened to Olivia's ideas. As for me, I felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation. Singing in front of others wasn't something I'd ever imagined doing, but the idea of sharing something so personal with my friends made me feel… connected.
When we arrived at the lab just before the professor closed the door, I realized that this new idea of Olivia's wasn't just a way to fulfill her prize—it was also an opportunity for each of us to show a side of ourselves that we usually kept quiet.