"Three. Two. One".
Malakai and Destiny turned their phones and had their screens facing each other.
Destiny had an image of a lion.
Malakai had an image of a lion.
"Hahahahahahahahaha".
They both laughed. The other guys checked what was on each screen.
"They've both got a lion", Ray said.
"Why are they laughing?" William asked, weirded out by their random laughter.
"Beats me", Lucas replied, confused like everyone else.
"Hahahaha", they both continued to laugh.
"You already know what my answer is", Destiny said, putting her phone in her pocket.
"Yup", Malakai was on the same wavelength. "Another hour wasted".
"Out of all the people who could be my partner, it had to be you", Destiny said, smiling. It wasn't a happy smile, she was smiling like this was a joke.
"You sure you don't want to go to the main office? We can finish this challenge and go home", Malakai replied in a cheery tone.
"In your dreams. I'm not helping you get points", Destiny hysterically said, turning around and walking away.
"Where you going?" Malakai asked, seeing her sudden exit.
"Going to get something to eat, I've got an hour to kill", Destiny replied.
"Can I come?"
"Did I invite you?" Destiny asked, looking back and raising an eyebrow. From her tone of voice, it was clear she didn't want him to join her. "If you want to follow me you can, I can't stop you. I won't pay any attention to you though", she said. Destiny turned around to look at Malakai, "Just to let you know, I like men who hopelessly chase me even if I don't care about them. So if you keep following me, you never know".
Malakai swivelled on his feet and walked in the opposite direction. "Pfft, fuck that. I ain't chasing you", he mumbled.
"Are you really not going to the main office?" Delilah asked as he walked past.
"You saw what happened. She legit said she don't wanna help me get points", Malakai replied, sounding like he didn't care.
"What are you going to do?" Benjamin asked.
"I don't know, I'll probably go get a drink", Malakai replied. "You know what imma do that. You lot have fun finding your partners", he said, walking away with his hands in his pockets. He left the guys and went out of the courtyard.
"After I get a drink, what imma gonna do?"
"What the heck did I just watch?" William asked, dumbfounded, turning his head right to left and seeing Destiny and Malakai walk in two different directions.
"I don't know, being around Malakai is like being in a TV show", Benjamin replied. "Anyway, what image did everyone get? I got a fly".
"I got a pillow", Lucas said.
"I got a book", William said.
"I got a table", Ray said.
"I got a dog", David said.
"I got a ladder", Delilah said.
"I got a swing", Tanisha said.
No matches.
"Why can't this be simple?" Tanisha frustratedly said.
"They probably made it so there are no matches between classmates", David replied.
"I don't like this challenge, it's not fun", William said, annoyed.
"I agree, this challenge is boring", Lucas agreed, shaking his head.
"Let's complete it and get it over and done with", David said.
Lorenzo's POV
I hate how quickly Ryan found his partner. How can he talk to people that easily? Everyone he talks to is friendly to him. It's not fair. He could've at least helped me before he left. Who did he leave with? I didn't see, he just walked away from me when I wasn't looking. He's not responding to my texts. Tsk. I have to do this alone. But, how am I going to do this? I don't want to talk to people. I don't want to approach people either. Why can't someone come up to me with a picture of a star? Everyone who's come up to me has something different. Where's Luke? I should've stuck with him. I don't recognise anyone. Tsk. I really have to do this myself. Is there a way I don't have to socialise? There has to be... I got it! I can just hold up my phone to people. Then, people can see my image, and they don't have to talk to me if their image doesn't match. I should find my partner in no time.
8 minutes later.
Tsk. Am I the only person with a picture of a star? I've shown my phone to everyone here, and they've all shaken their heads. I could tell they thought I was a weirdo, but it's whatever. I'm used to that. Do I have to leave the courtyard to find my partner? Why isn't everyone in the courtyard? Tsk. My arm's hurting from holding up my phone. Great. Why is this so annoying?
"Let me see your phone", said a monotone voice to my right.
Who? I turned my head. Adam? Was that his name? I showed him my phone without saying anything back. Does he always have the same facial expression? I've never seen him happy or sad. I've only seen his straight face.
"I've got a star too. Let's go to the main office", he said, walking away.
He didn't sound excited. I don't look excited, but I definitely feel excited. He's walking ahead. Why's he walking so fast? Does he want to go home that badly? I mean, I do, too, but dude, relax. I picked up my pace and started walking beside him.
Should I talk to him? Nah, I don't need to. He doesn't speak much, either. I'm glad my partner wasn't a girl. That would've been awkward. I got the best person possible, someone like me. Someone who doesn't talk and keeps the same facial expressions.
"Where's Ryan?"
Why is he talking?!
"I don't know", I answered in a bored tone so he would get a hint.
Why is he asking about Ryan? Tsk. What am I talking about? Everyone asks about Ryan.
"Has he already completed the challenge".
"Yeah".
Tsk. Why has he made this awkward?
(Only Lorenzo found it awkward).
William's POV
I left the guys. I don't know why they want to stick together. It's better to split up, and then when we find someone with the same image, we could text each other. It's the smartest play. I thought David would see my point, but he wants to stay with everyone. Hmmmm, I should really start asking people what images they have... There's a lot of people here... Too much people... And I'm by myself… This would've been easier if I was with everyone…
I've made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgment.
Arrghh. Dammit. I see why everyone disses me. I'm a dumbass. This is so hard. Why did I do this?
Never mind, I see Mark. Lemme ask him what he has. There's a ginger guy next to him. He looks familiar. Eh, I guess I'll ask him too.
"Mark! What's up!" I shouted.
"William! What's up, dude", he replied with a pleasant smile.
"Nothing much. Only struggling to find someone with the same image as me".
"You too, huh? It's harder than I thought it would be".
I've heard that saying for the hundredth time today.
"What picture do you have?" I asked.
"I've got a bottle cap. What about you?"
"I've got a book".
"A book?" The ginger guy reacted.
Does this ginger guy have a book?
"Yeah". I showed him my phone.
"Nice! I've got a book", he happily showed me his phone.
"Wow, I'm going to be left alone", Mark said, a little stunned. "You two have fun. I'll see you around William". Mark left us alone.
Why did he leave so suddenly? He could've stayed and talked longer. Oh well, I've completed my challenge.
"Let's go".
These 1-A guys move fast. "Sure. What's your name?" I asked him.
"I'm Kennedy... I was on your team for the dodgeball match in the minigames...".
Dammit.... That's why he looked familiar.
"Oh... my bad, dude. Hehe. I knew you looked familiar", I replied awkwardly, scratching the back of my head.
"Don't worry about it. The minigames happened a long time ago".
"Yeah. My memory isn't the best".
It looks like he doesn't care. I know his name now, and I won't forget it. This is a good chance. I need more friends from other classes.
"Hey, let's be friends".
Dammit. Why did I say it like that? I sounded like an NPC.
Dillon's POV
I need the person to come to me. I'm not finding them, it's taking too long.
"WHO HAS A PILLOW!!!!!"
"Dude, calm down. You're going to burst my eardrum", Ash said, covering his ears.
"WHO HAS A PILLOW!!!!!" I ignored him.
Ash isn't going to help me, he can't even help himself. I don't know where Jason is, he's probably found his partner because he sucked up to those guys. I have to do everything myself. Fuck sake.
"WHO HAS A-"
"YO! You don't need to shout, I'm right here".
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
I looked to my left and saw a tall blonde guy with blue eyes.
Huh, I know him. He's Malakai's friend.
"You have a picture of a pillow?" I asked him to make sure.
"Yeah". He showed me his phone, and he had the same image as me.
"Let's get out of here", I told him, walking away.
Finally. This fucking challenge is over. It was a pain in the ass.
"Slow down, bro. You don't have to walk so fast. We've got about fifty minutes left", he said, trailing behind me
Tch, this guy. What's wrong with him?
"Stop walking slow", I told him, not bothering to look back.
What's this guy's name anyway? Do I need to know it? Fuck it, might as well.
"What's your name?"
"Lucas. You don't need to be rude. I know you don't like Malakai, but you don't need to be pissed at me", he replied, sounding butt-hurt about it. "Why are you being a dickhead?"
Tch. I really have to explain myself to him. He's not even walking beside me. Is he scared of me or something?
"I'm not pissed at you. This is how I am".
"This is how you are? It looks and sounds like you're angry. Malakai was right, you are a stereotypical American bully".
Tch, even his friends are fucking annoying.
"Shut the fuck up. You're lucky we have the same picture".
"Lucky, how?"
"I would've punched you ten times already".
"Sureeee, buddy. You wouldn't even get close".
Tch. I bet he can't fight for shit. All he can do is talk. He's walking behind me. Tch. Even though I'd love to punch his teeth in, I can't. If I beat him senseless, his friends would come running...
It must be nice to have loyal friends.
Ash’s POV
Bruh. His shouting worked. Maybe I should start shouting. Wait a damn minute. Did that guy come with a group? He did. Let me ask them. There's three guys and two girls. That means there's a high chance one of them has my image. It's simple math. (He doesn't know what he's talking about).
I walked over to the group.
"Hey, do any of you have a picture of a table", I asked, showing my phone.
"A table? Ray, that's you, right?" the tall guy replied.
"Yeah, I've got it". A shorter boy with curly hair and green eyes showed his phone to me.
He has the same picture as me. This doesn't feel real. I'm a genius. My math was correct (He got lucky).
"Cool, I wanna go home, so let's go".
We started walking to the main office. Ray… He's Malakai's friend, but I'm sure he's done something because I know that name. It's familiar. His face is familiar, too.
"Hey, what rank are you?" I asked.
"Hm? I'm 31st", he casually replied.
“31st!?” He's that high? Dawg, I don't even wanna tell him my rank. "How many points you got?"
"2184. It would've been more if I did better for my team in the second challenge".
I noticed he was sadly looking at the floor while he said that. "Huh? What did you do?"
"I messed up finding the key. I should've found it quicker", he said, clearly faking a smile.
He still looks upset about it. That challenge happened a while ago. I know he could've been a higher rank but damn. 31st is hella high.
"Did you mess up that badly?"
"Yeah, my team could've got first if I found the key faster".
Damn, he's sad. I should cheer him up. He doesn't even need cheering up he's 31st. Dawg, I need cheering up. If he's that upset about his rank, imagine if he had mine. He would have depression.
"It doesn't matter. There's nothing you can do about it now", I said.
"Huh?"
"Did you learn something from losing that day?" I asked him.
"Uhh…. I haven't really thought about it", he slowly replied.
"Think about it then. Whatever happened that day should show you what to improve on and what to do next time. There's a reason why that happened to you".
That was a good speech if I don't say so myself. I should be a motivational speaker... Eh? Where's the response? Why's he quiet? Did I say something stupid? Was the speech not good? I probably told him something he's already been told.
"Thanks, I needed to hear that. That's great advice".
"It was?"
Isn't that normal advice? I thought everyone knew that shit. I just said something that would be said in a corny TV show. Haven't his friends told him that? What shit friends.
"What's your name? You haven't told me it yet. I'm Ray from 1-C".
"My name is Ash from 1-D".
He's a nice guy. I wouldn't mind having him as my friend.
Eric’s POV
This challenge is so awkward. How many more people do I have to ask? At least it's helping me talk to strangers. Overcoming my social anxiety. Heh, who am I kidding? It's not helping anything. I'm not having a conversation with them, I'm only asking them a question. On the bright side, when I finish this challenge, I can go to the gym and rest earlier. Then I can start that series I've put off starting. Finishing early on Friday is the best. I need to relax, I'm not finished yet. I need to stop planning what I'm going to do. I need to find...
Bump!
Woah.
"I'm so sorry".
"It's all go-".
Sasha? No, it isn't her. I thought that was Sasha for a sec. She kinda looks like her. They have similar hair.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Y-yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about it", I replied, struggling to look at her face.
Shit, I lost composure for a second after I saw her. I need to snap out of it.
"I'm so sorry I bumped into you. I tripped over someone's leg".
"It's okay, I'm not hurt. Are you hurt?".
"No, no. You stopped my fall", she said.
I stopped her from getting hurt. Even if it wasn't intentional, I did something good. That makes me feel good. I helped someone.
"That's good. While we are here, do you mind telling me what image you have?" I asked.
"Oh, I have a picture of a swing".
"A swing? No way". Oop, I was a bit too excited then.
"I do. Here, take a look", she replied, showing me her phone.
"You really do have a swing".
"What do you have?"
I showed her my phone, "A swing".
"Oh my gosh, no way. Yess!"
Wow, she's really cute. NO! I can't think like that. Do I want my heart broken again? No girls. I need to love myself before I can love someone else.
"Quick, let's go to the main office. My friend has already finished hers, and I want to see her", she happily said, skipping ahead.
"Wait, you haven't told me your name yet", I called out.
"My name is Tanisha, I'm from class 1-C", she replied, looking back with a bright smile.
Tanisha...
"What about you?"
"I'm Eric from 1-B".
Delilah’s POV
Tanisha found her partner by falling over. Is this a Disney story? Should I start falling onto people now? I doubt that would work for me. They'll probably be scared of me. What now? William, Lucas and Ray have found their partners. The numbers are starting to go down; it looks like there are fewer people, too. That's a good thing; we can find partners more easily. But the problem is we aren't.
"There's a big group over there. Surely one of them has our image", Benjamin said, pointing to the group.
"It's a group of about ten girls. It would be awkward if we just approached them", David replied.
It looks like it's my time to shine. But approaching a big group like that is still intimidating, even if I am a girl. It doesn't matter, we need to complete this challenge.
"I'll go".
"You sure?" Benjamin asked, sounding surprised.
"Who else is going to go?"
"I mean, you're not the approach a-stranger type", he replied.
"Normally, yeah, but this time, I might gain something from approaching them. I'm only going to ask them a question, I'm not going to have a whole conversation with them".
"Ben, just let her do her thing", David said.
"I wasn't stopping her. I was just making sure she wasn't pushing herself", Benjamin replied.
"I'm not a kid, you know", I smiled.
"Okay, my bad for looking out for my friend".
He was looking out for me, that's nice. "I appreciate it", I told him, walking away. I walked ahead while Benjamin and David followed.
Okay, this is kinda scary. I don't wanna do this anymore. I'm not shy, but this is a bit much. I recognise some of them, but I don't know their names. Tanisha was right, I need more friends. I need to talk to more people, so I don't have this type of problem in the future. Damn you, Tanisha. Oop- One of them is looking at me! I've got no choice. I have to say something.
"Erm. E-excuse me. Do any of you have a picture of a ladder".
"Hmm?" All of the girls turned to look at me.
None of them heard me… fantastic. I have to ask again. It is my fault. I asked them when they weren't looking at me.
"Do any of you have a picture of a ladder?" I asked, holding up my image.
"No, sorry".
Shoot, they're all shaking their heads. Is it me, or are they all looking at me weirdly? It doesn't matter, I'm used to that look. It's clear they don't want to talk to me. Bad luck for me, I guess. Maybe David and Benjamin will have more luck, but my search contin-
"I do".
Huh? Who said that? I looked up, and a girl made her way through the group and stood in front of me.
Who is she?