Don't lose humanity, for the sake of competition.

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We all stood there, exasperated. As the middle-aged bald man opened his mouth again, I mean why can't he just say all things at one time? He was making us all anxious.

"These clues are going to be tough, make sure you guys use your brain. Anyways, five teams will be selected from ten, so make sure you were quick in everything, Understood!!! " he screamed through the microphone.

We all nodded our head, in what looks like the understatement between ourselves, while Mr Bennett's eyes grinning suspiciously, as he doesn't believe his school students would be that smart enough to handle pressure like this.

All the students, started whispering, muttering in each other's ears. Maybe forming some technique, or plans how well they are going to perform, and they all have mischievous looks in their eyes.

Veronica, Nathan, Tori, and July. They all formed a semi-circle near the stage, and they didn't tell me about this! What they were thinkin'
that I'm not good enough for them. However, from here its looks like Veronica, Ms Queen bee, I mean bitch want to rule over to the whole team, she was telling everyone, or what it looks like she was demanding from everyone to follow her.

As I glanced again, towards the Stage where Mr Bennett was stood before, now there were ten booths made from wood, I think? Well then, they must have rolling wheels underneath them, they stood there all in one row, with each of them has one teacher, holding a piece of paper in their hands.

Our clues in their hands?

Yeah. They have it in their own hands!

" come on! All the teammates form their team, gather up here to collect your first clue from these booths. Be ready for war, " he practically yelled.

I rolled my eyes, for calling the scenario here. war, I mean what is wrong with him? Does it look like a war to him? Can't he just say simple things which motivate us rather than some obnoxious thing?

Nathan waved his hand, in my direction, so that I can join them there. Uh at least someone realised that I'm also a part of the team.
Glint plastered on my face, and I ran towards where, the team of four people stood, well not exactly four people, only one person stood there, or I should say hovering everyone else. While others are like robots, they exaggeratedly nodded their heads at whatever she was saying.

"So, Bamenda are you with us? " Veronica raised her one eyebrow amusingly.

I want to punch her, I mean she heard my name already when Mr Bennet announced it, but now she has to act smart and put me down in front of everyone, and what's with her tongue? Does it Is slipping from 'A' to 'B'?

No, she purposely did it

Off course! I know that, what you take me for? My damn inner voice!
Nevertheless, It's not the correct time for me, to argue with myself. I need to do something smart a smart comeback can work for me. However, I promised myself that I'll never let anyone put me down.

"Yes. Barbie, we are in a team. Didn't you hear, when the announcement made? " I said raising my eyebrows, mocking her.

In reply, she glared at me even more by making Nathan chuck at this, but both girls looked confused, as they don't know what is going on here! Well, I can't blame them for not understanding this, yet I didn't know that they were both following Veronica, on whatever she says. As sensing something, I mean my presence. Tori and July took my appearance from head to toe, and abruptly raising their eyebrows, as they Were scrutinizing me, and silently asking what the hell I was wearing?

I rolled my eyes, not again .these both girls are just like Veronica. I don't understand what is wrong with these people? Why judge everyone with their clothes? Does it always matter? To judge anyone with their clothing style? I know that I wear clothes according to my comfort level rather than showcasing myself in branded /fashionable clothes.

Why can't they understand that it hurts when someone judges you not based on your only good thing, but on that which hardly matters, yet they eye us every time to feel us smaller and disgusted?

Just be brave! You got the brain, while they got stone in name of that, and you can kick their asses.

"All right students! Three, two, one... Go! "

I came out from my inner self when the voice echoed through the speaker to my ears.

Adrenaline rushed in me, heart started beating faster, as I ran with my team towards the third booth on stage .well not basically with them, they all were running faster than myself, and I was in their back, rushing to be in front with everyone.
Somehow, I was able to be in front, due to my sharp elbows, oh who am I kidding? Yeah, I nudge them on the shoulders purposely. Don't get me wrong, but if I hadn't done this then I might be left out between a bunch of students whom I hardly know that much.

Mrs Shockbash was stood there on booth number third from the right side when I got there, the first thing I did was stomp my elbows on the upfront opened space due to rush from the crowd, but Mrs Shockbash didn't seem to know that there was rash, and what happened has genuinely happened from the after effect of rushing through the crowd of fifty students to get to go at least one booth in the first time, so she glared me.

Long in short Mrs.shockbash got shocked by my presence. Nevertheless, just I was about to snatch the small paper from her hand, yeah I snatch it because she didn't seem to share the same thought as mine, that we are in hurry, and if we didn't move our asses fast then we are not going in the second round, that's why to saving time I snatch it from her hand, otherwise, I don't this to anyone.

Anyways, just as I snatched the small paper from her hand, someone snatched that paper from my hand with more force.

Excuse me?

I blinked! What just happened? What the hell just happened ?. I was on cloud nine when I held that small paper, I wanted to be the one who open-up that paper, because I know If I didn't get my hands on them, then there is no chance that my hands get on them later! Only a miracle can do it.

"Not so fast, Bamenda, " Veronica glared, with her deadly eyes. I don't know but her eyes, they don't seem regular Veronica type, something is different, her eyes looks fragile and dull!

Though, when she realised that I was studying her through her eyes, she regained her composure, again the same Veronica back with those deadly eyes.

What I had seen is true, or am I daydreaming?

She took that folded paper in her hands and opened it in a quick stern.
I don't know, what was in there. She was only staring at the piece of paper in her hands with her eyebrows raised in determining something.

Okay, I know she wants to read it first, but can't she read it loud enough so that we all can hear her?

, or she thinks that she can do it alone without anyone help.

She was so focused on what was written in that folded paper that she didn't even notice, Nathan, Tori, and July were hovering her shadow, when they slightly moved near her, in an attempt to read what was written there.

Five minutes passed. No one of them moved from their place, not even a bit. All were on a different level with their facial expression, as they were trying to solve the clue in their mind.
They, or especially Veronica didn't notice that only our team is left here, all other teams were already gone to find their next clue. Cole's team is also not here.

Just snatch that paper from their hand, will you? Or you want to lose?

"May I? "I uttered.

No one even flinched from their discussion. nevertheless, I have to beat him in this competition, I can't take a risk, so I snatched that paper from her hands while rolling my eyes.

I gently opened that crumble piece of paper with my hands, which was completely not in good shape.

'There is a thing, which brought here, many years ago from another place, and that place has something special within itself when it comes to using, people use it beneficially, and it's the same thing which sounds almost same to that place, where that thing came here many years ago, you have to find out the same place here, which gives the feeling of that word, which is sound almost similar to that place. If you can find out that school place then you will get your next clue. '

Seriously, what I just read?

I again read it loud enough, so that everyone can hear it at the same time, though they already know what was written in here, but still.

"I still don't get it, " exclaimed Nathan.

"What I get it, is the word 'place', "uttered Tori.

"What thing? What they are talking about? " whispered July.

"It has so many lines, " Muttered Veronica.

I don't have time, for any type of argument. I just need to think, and have to run my mind.

Think!

Think!

Oh, come on. What it can be?

Wait a second. A thing, which came here many years ago, it means that thing came here, in New York, and if it came here many years ago that means that it has to be a historical monument!

So the question is, what historical monument came here, many years ago from another place?

Think! Think! Think!

Think Amanda! Damn It.

Oh. Why hadn't I thought about it before?

''Statue of Liberty '' I yelled. yes. It came here, many years ago." And If I'm not wrong It came from France! "

"France is famous for what? Except for the Eiffel tower? Which thing people use beneficially? " asked Nathan.

"Perfumes " whispered Veronica.

''Yeah, I got it. It is famous for its perfumes which gives us an amazing fragrance.
Wait for a second, Fragrance, and France. It sounds almost similar, doesn't it?
But the question is from which place in school we get Fragrance? ''

I looked up from my thoughts to meet their eyes, which were gazing at me suspiciously like they didn't believe in what they just heard!

I was lost in my thoughts, when Nathan asked, "Does that Fragrance has to be specific? I mean, does it have to perfume type? Or it can be any type of Fragrance? "

"It's not specific in it here, that means it can be any type of fragrance! " I exclaimed.

"So we have to find, that place here which gives Fragrance! Am I right? " Veronica uttered.

I nodded. Well, what can be that place?
"Oh My God. I got it"

"What? " everybody asked in unison.

"Look. The place which gives Fragrance, and it's not specific that it has to be Perfume type. So the only place where the Fragrance came from in school is Cafeteria. I mean we inhale different type of Fragrance there, the smell of coffee, food etc. See it is simple then, we have to go to Cafeteria for our next clue. " I determined.

Pin drop silence. They were watching me in horror with their shocked eyes.
Veronica opened her mouth to say something, but Nathan stopped her," leave it for later. Will you? " and she closed her mouth again.

Again she cleared her throat, "so what are we waiting for? Run! "

***
Determination to win. set in our eyes, when we were running without anything else.

Hearts were about to explode, adrenaline rushing through our veins, blood is pumping so fast in our system, and, yet we were running like our life is dependent on it.

Let me tell you, that I'm not overreacting, not even a bit. Distance between the auditorium and Cafeteria is in miles! Ok. Maybe not in miles, but definitely in metres. Yeah! You heard right. Cross River High is that big!

My heartbeat became normal when I saw Cafeteria in front of my eyes. Isn't it weird that we see every day this Cafeteria, but we never understood its importance? I mean we never knew its importance, when it was in front of our eyes, and here we are panting like a panther for this place.

We all rushed in through the entry door. Like fighting soldiers in unison, we all were ready to jump on Mrs Bitwick, who was in charge of this Cafeteria.
She was busy in her work, looked lost in the outside world. When she saw us she looked terrified.

This was an alarm bell for me, what the hell was I doing? I was so lost in this competition, that I didn't realise what I was about to do!
I was ready to jump on her. Not alone me, in fact, we all just for the sake of our next clue?
Doesn't we have humanity? Or we all lost it. in the sake of winning the title?

Control yourself!

I stopped and shoved them on my back, who is my teammates. I know they all must be thinking that I'm mad, and they were about to explode in anger. But I need to do what is right!

I fidgeted in my place, cheeks were burning through the heat which is radiating from my ears to my cheeks.

The sweepers, who were cleaning the floor, and those Cooks who were Cooking, all were looking at me furiously. Including my teammates. When I asked Shyly, " Mrs Bitwick, can you give us our next Clue? "

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