The day of the sports festival was here. An event like no other. The school was against each other. Two teams face off to the death. Well, not really death, but the school would probably have better grades if it was a fight to the death. That way, only the good students would survive.

"So," I said standing at the end of the fields race track with the blaring audience around me being just as annoying as the sun that was trying to kill me. "How did we end up like this?"

"We were asked," Ruby said as she was tightening the rope that connected our legs. "We were asked to take part as someone on this team couldn't make it. We are the backups."

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"If I remember correctly, you were asked. I was not asked such a thing. You just approached me and forced me to help with this."

"Don't complain," Ruby said. "We will lose if you complain."

Ruby's compet.i.tiveness was s.h.i.+ning through. She was forced to do this but was determined to win. If I lost this here for us, I'm sure I'll be killed.

This event was called the three-legged race. It was called this because you tie your leg to someone else's. Basically, you have three legs. For the race, it was Ruby and me together. There are several strategies you can go with, but usually, you just need to move in sync.

We were against other sixth formers who decided to take part and some year 11s. It didn't matter if we won or lost as we technically weren't on a team. However, as I said, the one that I can't escape from would kill me if we lost.

"You ready?" She said as she was focused on the finish line. "It's only 200 metres, it's not far… we can do this. If you fall behind I will kill you."

"Alright, alright, I know," I said as I took my last breaths and thinking of who should inherit my depression.

The sound of a horn announced the start of the race. I don't remember seeing anyone next to me or ahead whilst we were running. I thought that we must have been in the lead. We were moving in sync. It was as if we had lived our lives with a connected leg. There was no stopping us and we easily took first. Out, in, out, in. As strange as it sounds, as we moved in and out together, no force in this world could have stopped us.

"That was easy…" I said looking at the others behind who were tripping up.

"Why do they find it so hard?" Ruby said. "Did they not figure out the trick?"

"Trick? There was a trick?" I asked.

"Yeah, you just forget about the other person and drag them along. Doesn't matter if you injure them. Just run."

Ruby's cold-hearted plan worked. Or at least, I think it did. I don't remember if she was dragging me along but I just went with it as it meant I could escape quicker. I had other plans to do today and none of them involved Ruby. My main goal was to stalk to lovers!

# # #

After walking around the school and field looking for my targets, I came across the person who, just like me, wanted to watch the drama unfold.

"Hey, Owen, Come here, come here," Claire said dragging me to look. "Look, look,"

She pointed to Kaylee who seemed to be sitting on a bench outside. No one was around her and she was right in the way of the shade. All we could see was that she was writing something.

"Do you think she's writing her will?" Claire asked.

"Maybe, who do you think will kill her? Ethan or Simon?"

"I bet Simon," Claire said picking the opposite to me.

"Who do you think will win?" she asked offering me popcorn as we watched the sequel to the last film.

"I don't know," I said. "I don't think either of them will."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a guess. Kaylee's being a bit unreasonable recently."

"Hmm? I think Ethan will end up with her." Claire said. "He seems nice, and Kaylee seems to look at him a lot and talk about him."

"She does?" I asked.

"Well, yeah. They work together, don't they? She's always trying to find out when Ethan's s.h.i.+fts are to make sure that he will be there."

What? That doesn't make any sense. What happened to the Kaylee that was lonely? She better not be leading him on again.

"What do you think of Kaylee?" I asked.

"She's a nice girl. A bit strange but nice. I feel like she doesn't know what she wants most of the time. Like a child that can't decide what flavour of ice cream to get. Or a child that can't figure out what they should get at the cinema."

I'm not surprised Claire would bring up a metaphor about the cinema considering how often I see her eat popcorn. She must be a cinephile.

"Maybe you are right, but then if what you say is true and she will accept Ethan, why did she run away the other day?"

"Wouldn't you?" Claire said. "In a situation like that, with your ex who also was confessing? But forget about that, what about you? I heard you and a little somebody shared a kiss? I'm surprised you two can even act normally around each other… a little three-legged race didn't get your heart racing?"

"How do you know these things?" I asked checking my phone for any spyware that would leak any information.

"Don't you forget we are alike," Claire said like an evil villain. "We are people destined to be interested in love! We are people who find it all out about love and the love of those around us!"

What is she saying? She's definitely strange. She should worry about herself rather than others love lives.

"Make sure you invite me to your wedding." She said with a straight face.

"Yeah, I'll make sure you don't get invited."

"GASP!" She said instead of actually gasping. "That means you plan to have a wedding, is it with who I think it is? Are you two dating?"

I looked at her, hoping I could hide my embarra.s.sment. She was a worthy foe. I've never met someone who has cornered me this much before. I have met my match. I must resort to the sacred tactics of getting someone off your back.

"p.i.s.s off…" I said as I stuffed my face with more popcorn. "Can we just wait for the drama to kick off?"

"Of course!"

The two of us hung out together with no sign of Ethan and Simon or Sean and Lily. We didn't know where they were and we probably wouldn't find them. We wouldn't be able to see it all come cras.h.i.+ng down for some and a great moment for the others. Whoever will have the crus.h.i.+ng moment, I may not know until Monday, but for now, all I can do is stuff my face with popcorn.