Emily's highschool

chapter 5

The night before the contest, I stayed up late, fine-tuning my piece, my fingers dancing across the keyboard as I crafted the final touches.

The day of the contest arrived, and the auditorium buzzed with energy. Students filled the seats, their chatter echoing off the walls. I sat backstage, my heart racing as I waited for my turn to read. Zoe stood beside me, her presence a calming force.

“You’ve got this, Emily. Just remember to breathe and let your words flow,” she encouraged, her smile reassuring.

A good-looking woman probably in her later 50’s stood on the stage to address the audience. Se identified herself as one of the board members of the show organizer. She went ahead to introduce and colleagues and further explained the reason for the show and the conditions alongside.

When my name was called, I took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage. The spotlight illuminated me, and I felt a rush of adrenaline. As I began to read, I poured my heart into every word, my voice steady despite the fluttering in my stomach. I could see the audience’s faces, some nodding along, others leaning in with interest.

As I finished, a wave of relief washed over me. I had done it. I had shared my story, and for the first time, I felt a sense of pride in my work. The applause that followed was a sweet melody, a validation of my efforts.

To Emily’s surprise, Mia appeared to be one of the contestants making her feel uncomfortable. Emily’s heart skipped a beat, unsure if she could beat Mia knowing how good she was. She took a deep breath and reminded herself not to let anyone intimidate her. Mia on the other hand walked past Emily with pride.

They were called one by one to present their artworks, and after that the judges started with the evaluation process which made a lot of contestants to shiver since their was no expression on the judges face as the moved along. Emily was filled with a mix of anxiety and nervousness as she listened to mia’s presentation, all her hopes were shattered and lost.

As she looked into the crowds searching for her friends, her eyes met with Mike and her friends as they kept repeating words of encouragement, calming her spirit down. Mia stared at Emily’s work, taking her time to examine what was written. Emily couldn’t help but watch her out of the corner of her eye, wondering what she was thinking.

After the contest, I mingled with other participants, exchanging thoughts and ideas. I felt a sense of belonging that I hadn’t experienced before. But as I scanned the crowd, my gaze landed on Mia, who stood with her friends, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. I felt a pang of insecurity, but I reminded myself of Zoe’s words. I was proud of my journey, and I wouldn’t let anyone dim my light.

As the show drew to an end, the previous woman climbed the stage again with a smiley face while making some announcements and notifying the crowd that the released in few months time. Emily took a moment to reflect on her art then smiled a her friends giving them a signal to leave since the show was over.

They all walked down the busy street with their hands twirled together, Emily had a sting of happiness in her heart as she looked at the 3 people who stood by her, the opportunity she had seized and their great support so far. As she said goodbye to her friends, Emily couldn’t help but make a big smile, she knew this was just the beginning of her journey and there were many more to come, she was soooo excited.

That evening, as I sat in my room, I reflected on the day’s events. I had faced my fears, shared my voice, and found a sense of belonging. I realized that while the journey ahead might still be filled with challenges, I was no longer alone. I had friends who believed in me, and I was ready to embrace whatever came next.

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In the days that followed, Emily found herself filled with a renewed sense of purpose. She continued to create several paintings, drawing inspirations to give the world a chance to reflect on their lives through her creativity. She knew there would still be more challenges to come but that never stopped her from doing what she knows best. Instead she became more efficient and stronger than before.

Emily began to explore different opportunities that came around to showcase her art/writing.

The next day at school, Emily’s attention was caught up by the crowd at the school board. She moved closer and read the notice which says, “ The art competition audition is now open for every student in the art club that is willing to participate in the audition. Register and show your talent”. This was the audition Emily had always looked forward to, the first time it occurred she wasn’t accepted to the club not to talk of participating in the competition.

Emily rushed to find her friends in their class hoping to share the information with them. As they listened to her, Bryan gave her some headlights, telling her how important it is for her. “ This would make your name well known to the students and the whole school generally, only if you make use of the stage wisely.” He concluded. Zoe agreed to Bryan’s words. “ You can get a name among the students now and get a good face in front of mike also”. She winked. Bryan looked at the three girls strictly demanding for a detailed explanation. “ The thing is, actually Emily likes mike but she is shy about the feelings”. Sarah spilled.

Bryan looked directly to Emily’s direction requesting for an explanation to defend what Sarah just Said. “ It isn’t what you think bryan, it was just a one time thing and I already stopped Sarah from talking about it.” Emily whispered. “ So when did all these happen?” Bryan asked. “ That day we went to collect the writing club form” Sarah replied. Bryan now understood why Emily was so engrossed anything she was talking about max. He pinched their nose each and pulled the girls arm. That is for hiding things from me. They all busted into laughter”.

During the audition, Emily had prayed and hoped she gets picked since the students participating were higher than what they thought. Luckily for Emily, she got selected and headed to the next level. As her name got announced she and her friends screamed happily as they gave themselves a group hug. While they were jubilating, mia walked up to them, “ Don’t jubilate too quick, the real competition is just about to start. Let’s see if you would qualify enough to win me”. She said walking away with her friends as they hissed loudly.