THE ANNOUNCEMENT

As I fix my tie, I take in a deep breath. Today's the day I claim what is mine - my throne. I grab my already prepared bag and as I twist the knob of the door, I am met with May's bright smile.

"Ready, Queen Valedictorian?" she beams, pride shining in her eyes. Over the years, I have been called by many names. Valedictorian started it all but now it has found its final form - Queen Valedictorian.

Westbridge High is an elite school where only the best find their way in. And I didn't just make it in, I conquered it. And today I will take my crown.

"Yeah, let's go." I shut the door behind me and made my way towards the auditorium. The hall is buzzing but my focus is sharp. This is my day, my moment. As May pulls open the heavy auditorium door she smirks, "After you, my lady." I stride in and the hall falls silent. It's subtle but noticeable. A shift in the air, a pause in conversation. They are watching me, they know exactly why I am here.

I walk straight to the front row where two seats are reserved for me and May. Seats for the elite of the elite. As May settles beside me, I take a quick scan over the auditorium and that's when I see it. Another set of reserved seats. In the far end of the first row, two seats, empty. Why?

"Ev! Hey! This is your day. So, why exactly do you look like you are ready to murder somebody?" May's warm voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I barely turn, "Two seats, empty. Why?" My tone is sharp and edged with something I don't want to name. Maya blinks. "Empty seats... What?" She twists around, following my gaze. A beat of silence. Then - "Oh." I narrow my eyes, "Oh?" She sighs, "That's for Joshua and his follower. Absolutely not your concern. Can we please just focus on what we came here for?" Before I can respond, a sharp screech from the microphone cuts through the room, swallowing whatever May was about to say next. The air stills. All eyes shift to the podium as Principal Harrison steps forward.

"Dear students..." He begins but before he can continue a sudden cold rush of air sweeps through the warm auditorium. Almost instinctively, every head turns toward the door. With sheer frustration I follow their gaze only to be met with Joshua Hall's lazy, infrutriating smile. "Sorry for the intrusion. Carry on, please. I will just..." His voice is casual, careless. He takes a step forward then pauses. His gaze lands on the only empty seats in the entire room. A slow smile tugs at his lips. "...let myself in." He completes the sentence as if it is an afterthought, striding forward without a care in the world. Ryan, his so-called bestfriend, claps him on the back ushering him toward their seats.

Joshua sinks into his chair with annoying ease, arms draped lazily over the backrest, completely unbothered. As if this isn't the most important day of our lives, as if he already knows the outcome.

"I hope everyone has settled now, yes?" Principal Harrison's gaze sweeps across the room, pausing for a fraction of a second on Joshua before shifting back. "Westbridge High has always been known for its valedictorians. All of you here are extraordinary, excellence is in your blood. But someone's excellence is out of the scale, beyond anything we have ever seen." My pulse spikes. This is it. The moment I have been waiting for, the moment that belongs to me. "The title of Valedictorian is the highest academic honour at Westbridge High." I can feel it. The weight of victory. The crown within my grasp. "Two students have managed to win the position, over and over, again and again. Not once have they failed. Failure simply doesn't find itself in their dictionary." The air is thick with anticipation. And then come the words that shatter everything . "And for the first time ever Westbridge High finds itself in a position it has never been in. For the first time in history, for the position of Valedictorian there is...." A pause. "....a tie." A what? All words slip out of my mind as if I have forgotten their meaning entirely. "Our two Valedictorians, or dare should I say competitors as of now are Evelyn Brooks and Joshua Hall." "What?!" My head snaps so fast, it almost feels unreal.

Across the room Joshua's gaze is already on me; unbothered, steady and smug. And then he smiles. Not a grin or a smirk, just one of his casual, effortless smiles before he finally looks away as if this is nothing more than an amusing game. I clench my jaw and force my attention back to Principal Harrison. "With this unexpected turn of events, we have decided upon one final project, one final challenge." The room is dead silent. My hands curl into fists. "The rightful winner shall be honoured and named Valedictorian." This isn't over. "I request the two students to report to Mrs. Taylor for details on the project. She will oversee the challenge with no bias nor favour, only fairness. Thank you." The mic clicks off. The moment is over and yet, the war has just begun.

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