CHAPTER EIGHT: Who's it gonna be?
1627 Words
It starts.
Right before Angel’s eyes she joins and participates in the selection of a new PEST member.
In four places they are grouped, but it is on your own accord to which member you want a number from. It is your own decision to make, and in this moment, Angel goes with her heart.
And it chooses Sawyer.
After waiting at the queue for several minutes, she is the next to pick a number at this point and her heart leaps as he hands her a number. Angel collects it slowly and turns away for the next person.
As she walks back to her seat, Tess pops of the line, blocks her way and eye her in antipathy.
Do you really think you have a chance? Tess asks trying to take a peep at the number in Angel’s hand.
“Careful, you will break your neck.” Angel says glaring at her too.
Tess scoffs at her reply before she returns back to her line.
Angel returns to her spot and takes a look at the small card in her hands. Her number is one, zero, one. He looked her in the eye when he wrote it; would he really pick her number?
What if it turns out to be her number? Would she really get to the next level?
Angel smiles.
It’s funny how she feels fortunate in this moment. The simple thought of Sawyer giving her a number he would call makes her heart flutter. He has helped her twice now, he can do it again.
Right?
Angel patiently waits for the selection process to commence as she already feels lucky, she continues to look at the number in her hands. After several writing of numbers from the PESTs themselves, everyone who participates has a number in their hand.
The tension is still and filled with suspense once again.
Ashley rises to the stage after making sure everyone has a number for the participation.
I believe we all have numbers isn’t it? She asks.
The crowd answers positively at her question and she nods to Benita who takes the next say.
“So, we are going to start with Peter.” He will announce the number and whoever has it in their card is going the next round.
Benita turns to Peter. He picks the microphone from the table and speaks.
“Here we go.” Peter says as he looks into the card in his hands to be sure it’s the number he chose.
“One thirty nine.” He says and a shocked scream soars from the crowd and everyone turns to the direction of the scream and the girl stands in utter happiness and shock.
“Please come forward; let’s make sure it’s the number.” Benita says.
The girl rushes through the crowd and Benita looks at the number.
“Congratulations, you are going to the next level.” Benita says and directs her to another place apart from where the contestants are seated.
Another tension rises as the first person gets picked, murmurs of disappointment rises from those who were under Peter’s queue.
Angel rubs her palms together when the heat of the competition starts to scare her. Although, she has the belief that Sawyer would help her to the next step, but she is still sacred.
Again, Elijah announces his number too and it is left to Sawyer and Timothy whose numbers are yet to be said.
“Next, we have Sawyer to announce the number he has picked and who gets to become the next runner.” Go crazy, Sawyer.
The attention turns to Sawyer as she stares at the crowd, he had the most contestants and to think he has picked one number out of all the people who contested under him was astonishing.
“One, zero, two.”
Sawyer says and amidst the crowd his eyes finds Angel and she finds him too. Her chest feels hot and suffocated as she stares at him, he picked her, out of everyone present her, Sawyer Morgan noticed and remembered her.
Angel cannot believe it.
How is this even possible? Where is this even possible?
Her, out of everyone present in the auditorium?
Does anyone have the number here? Ashley asks when no one steps up to claim it.
Angel taps back to her senses and stands on her feet.
It’s me!
All attention falls on her as she makes her way out of the crowd. The moment Tess’s eyes catches her, she fumes with so much antagonism. A million reason why Angel would be the one with the number pops through her head, but she doesn’t know what explanation would make it sensible enough.
Why Angel?
She is a nobody, a loner. Tess yells in her head as she watches Angel walks to the stage and hand over the proof to Ashley.
“I guess we have another runner up, congratulations.”
Angel looks over to Sawyer before she moves to the seat of runner ups, the moment she looks at him, his eyes are already watching her and Angel’s heart leaps again.
She is a runner up.
She reminds herself when it proves to be too good to be true.
I am a runner up; I’m one step close to the finish line.
Angel tells herself when the competition continues since Timothy hasn’t chosen his number yet.
But most importantly, the realization that hits her the most is the fact that she beat Tess. Now, Tess would not be able to become a PEST because she has the spot.
I beat Tess.
I beat Tess.
Angel says in her mind and cannot stop the smile that falls on her face when she recites in her mind everything that happened minutes ago.
Finally, the competition comes to an end and four runner ups have been chosen. They were all girls even when boys contested too. Angel has become more confident and is not worried about the next challenge.
In the back of her mind, she feels Sawyer has her back and that whatever this next step was all about, he will help her through. She isn’t alone.
Angel watches the crowd disperse and exit the auditorium. At the right interval, her eye catches Tess as she furiously gazes austerely at her.
Angel smiles when she finds Tess in an absurd state like she imagined her to be. She turns her head away and she gets to see Sawyer and his other friends leave. Timothy is speaking to him whilst they leave and Angel looks in wonder as a smile grows on his face.
Whatever Timothy is teasing him about is working, because she hardly saw him smile. Angel wants to thank him for helping her out today and yesterday. After the ordeal she went though yesterday, she forgot to wash his t-shirt, she didn’t want to go without it.
It would give her something to talk about since the only thing her body knows how to do is to melt in his presence.
“Wow.”
Ashley’s voice garners her attention and she turns back to focus.
“Congratulations guys, you all have made it to the next phase, but only one will get through this phase.”
And right here, right now, we are gonna cut to the hound. Benita says.
“Up close, Angel is in awe of how appealing theses girls truly were.”
“First we would like you to know that being a PEST is a privilege, I’m saying this so you would give it your full aptitude.” Our privileges don’t just end in Crestville High.
“I’m talking about having your tuition and college fees covered by Crestville organizations; it offers a scholarship and welcomes you into a wide range of career choices in your earlier future.” And whatever you do, we will have your back because you are a PEST.
Now, doesn’t that sound nice? Benita asks.
Angel swallows; all of a sudden her throat becomes parched.
A scholarship? A wide range of career choices and support from Crestville?
“This would save her life.” She would be able to move out of her aunt’s house if all learning expenses gets covered by Crestville. It is everything she has ever dreamed of in one package.
What exactly is the catch to this tremendous offer?
And, we are not done yet. Ashley says.
“Crestville offers a prepaid apartment for every PEST member if you are keen to have your own place, all would be covered by Crestville organization—food, electricity bills, and whatever housing costs entail.”
Angel thought she has heard it all.
She touches her forehead. Just now she thought about leaving her aunt’s place, she had thought of using the money she has saved up for college to find a new place to since everything would be covered up.
But now, an apartment where every goddamned thing will be paid for?
Angel knows she is not the only one who is shocked by the advantages; she takes a look at the other and their expressions are just as shocking, perhaps even more than hers.
“The catch is...” Benita says.
“One of you will become a PEST if you are able to hook up with any of the PESTS, as you know there is still someone in the group who hasn’t had a girlfriend yet.” So, ladies.
Which PEST do you choose?
- Writer
