Chapter 2
My fingers jabbed furiously at the controls, desperate to win. Sweat dripped down my brow in my deep concentration. Our robot raced around the arena, speeding around to complete tasks. My team cheered me on from the sidelines, each syllable of encouragement elevating my determination to achieve victory.
Finals were wonderful, so many nice teams, but also new enemies. The ride here was uneventful, after piling into Equius’ van; it was a long ride to finals. We had earned the money from a mysterious donor, who seemed more than eager to give us more than enough money.
The day consisted of grins and smiles, even from the grumpiest members of the team. We were advancing up the ranks fast. The robot was absolutely dominating. The gears turned and the wheels spun like clockwork. The robot performed better than it ever had before, it was almost ethereal watching it glide.
The robot completed tasks faster than any others. We received so much praise on the programming and build of the robot, we were drowning in accolades. I received many compliments on my driving, to which I assured everyone I was basically button mashing. Nonetheless, the furious driving was what brought us to the top.
A few last minute fix ups were in place before the final event. I stood by the side, watching the rest of the team bicker and fiddle with the robot, preparing it for its last presentation of skill. I was repeatedly cracking my knuckles in anticipation.
Okay, I was wringing my hands in nervousness. I was scared shitless, this was the most important trial at finals. There was still room for human error. The finals had been going so well and this; this is where I broke down, right before the big show.
“You ready AA?” Sollux asked, coming up next to me. The rest of the team soon followed, insuring my win and asking if I’m okay, which I answer with a plethora of assurances that I was fine. The team moves the robot to the arena for the last event.
My sweaty hands grip the controller tightly. When the bell rings, I’m off, jamming buttons in an effort to make the robot move faster. There, there! Yes! We’re pulling ahead of the other team. It’s in the home stretch, our robot just needs to complete this one last task and we will win.
Win the fame, the glory, the bragging rights, and somewhat the most important thing, the prize money. My fingers clumsily hit the last buttons. Right there! 3…2……..
“ARADIA,VAKNA!” Damara screeched in my ear, her long nails digging into my shoulder. I sat up, “What?” I asked sleepily, not understanding the word. “Vakna! Wake up! It’s Swedish.” Damara answered. She was prone to doing this, randomly switching between all the languages she knew.
A couple of nights ago she yelled at me to do my homework for an hour, all in Japanese. Damara clapped, snapped, and shooed me around the house, encouraging me to move faster in a variety of different languages. In record time I was ready to go, I guessed my punishment for oversleeping was that I was having to eat a granola bar in the car for lack of time to make real breakfast.
Damara could be classified as the either the ultimate safe driver or the most scared driver ever. But the truth was that we both knew that our family could not afford to make any repairs to the car if it was damaged, much less buy another one. So everyone drove the old car, impossibly safely, we had received quite a few honks on the Megido style of driving.
Damara pulled carefully into a faded parking spot in the school parking spot. She swung the door out easily and stepped out; straightening the outfit she wore, like she needed a uniform for working a concession stand.
We walked together to the sidewalk and almost as soon as Damara’s shoe touched the paved walkway, she gasped and sprinted off across the sidewalk. I stood there awkwardly; watch as she skidded to a stop next to a girl with two long braids cascading down her back. I made the decision to run up to them to catch up.
I heard parts of their conversation as I caught up. “Oh hey gill.” The girl Damara said. “Meenah! How’s it goin?” Damara asked. “Nuffin much, just here to sea my this little gill win fin-als.” She asked, gesturing to someone standing next to her. I neared Damara, and got a view of who Meenah was pointing too.
It was Feferi. She wore a jacket and pants emblazoned with our school mascot and colors, her hair was tightly wound, I presumed for more ease when it came time to stuff it into a swim cap. Apparently she saw me as well, for she pushed her way between Damara and Meenah to run and basically jump on top of me.
“You’re here!” She screeched, wrapping her arms around me. “Fef, how many times have I told you not to traumatize people?” Meenah reprimanded, and Feferi extracted herself off my body. “Sorry! Im just so excited Aradia’s here!” Feferi squealed, and then dropped her smile. “As far as I know, you’re the only person who I gave a flyer to who showed up.” She mumbled.
I didn’t know what to say, I just stood there dumbly, staring at her. “It’s still early, Fef.” Meenah said, concluding her conversation with Damara. Then she looked at me “Hey gill, why don tcha sit by me for the meet, since Damara is workin the conch-sessions stand.” She offered, to which I nodded.
“Meenah! We gotta go go go! Warm-ups starting soon!” Feferi crowed, jumping up and down until she could drag Meenah into the building. Damara crossed her arms and walked pointedly towards the building, me trailing behind. Damara pushed open the glass doors to the building, letting them swing back behind her, not bothering to hold them open for me.
She led me to the doors to the bleachers and said “Wait for Meenah, she knows what she’s doing, she’s just giving her sister a pep talk.” She then promptly spun on her heel and marched off to the concession stand. I watched her greet a few people in the window, then open the door and enter the kitchen herself.
I leaned against a post, sandwiched by a drinking fountain with gum in it and a trash can. “Hey, gill!” Meenah said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Even in the darkness, I could see her shocking resemblance to Feferi.
They both had impossibly dark skin, curly hair, from what I could see from what hung out of Meenah’s braids. They both had a stockier build, and a taste for pink. “Let’s go before all the good seats are shoalen.” She said. I finally acknowledged the fish pun use that had been painfully added to the conversation ever since she started talking.
She turned and shoved her way onto the bleachers, expecting me to follow. After a few seconds, I did. I darted through the crowd, dodging concerned parents decked in team colors and whiny siblings of the swimmers. I found Meenah, after she stood up in her seat and yelled at me. I took my seat next to her, and stared down at the pool, watching the competitors mill around the water.