Crowds cheering.
Participants were preparing for everything. Ashraf and Suvro were gossiping about random things. Noor sat silently.
Many thoughts were in his mind.
I should have realized this earlier. Who in their right mind would come up with an idea like this?
But everybody loved it…
This should feel relieving.
But why do I feel empty inside?
If my parents were here… would they be proud of me, or laugh?
If Mom and Dad were here…
"OH LOOK WHO IT—"
"OH MY GOD—"
"OHH—"
"IT'S THE PRINCESS!"
The crowd erupted.
"What? Miss Jenny is also participating?!" Noor yelled with a puzzled face.
"Why are you surprised? They don't call her the school's Princess for nothing. Not only is she beautiful and elegant, she's also unbeatable in sports and studies," Ashraf said boldly.
"Hmm," Suvro and Jamil added.
"Oh, I see… but if she's participating, that means—"
"AND LOOK WHO IT IS!"
Ria entered with a serious expression.
"IT'S THE LONE WOLF OF OUR SCHOOL!" the announcer shouted.
"Hmm, looks like Ria is very serious about this race," Suvro said.
"Oh, my granddaughter…" the Principal said, wiping his tears.
"Granddaughter?!" Noor asked, confused.
"What, you didn't know? Ria is his only granddaughter," Ashraf said while munching snacks.
"Like you guys ever told me about this…"
"PARTICIPANTS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH GEAR TO AVOID INJURIES. THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: FINISH FIRST WHILE AVOIDING THE BANANA PEELS. THE RACE IS 500 METERS AND MUST BE COMPLETED UNDER 7 MINUTES. EVERYONE, GET READY!"
"Looks like the race will be interesting. I mean, look at those two—they didn't wear any safety gear, and they're in their school uniforms."
"How will they run fast with that long dress?" some girls whispered.
"EVERYONE GET READY!"
While the other girls took their stances, Jenny and Ria remained still. Jenny was smiling, and Ria was fully locked in.
Gunshot.
"GO!"
Everyone started running—except those two.
Crowds cheering.
Noor blinked.
"Wait, what's going on?"
"Just wait for it," Suvro said.
Everyone else was running slowly because the track was completely covered in banana peels.
"LOOKS LIKE NUMBER 7 IS TAKING THE LEAD—"
Slip!
Slam.
"Oh no—NUMBER 7 IS OUT!"
"LOOKS LIKE THE RACE WILL BE EVEN TOUGHER THAN THEY EXPECTED!" the announcer shouted energetically.
People in the crowd whispered:
"What's with those two? They haven't moved an inch."
"Maybe they're trying to lose on purpose…?"
Wack—slip!
"NUMBER 4 IS OUT!"
SLAM.
"AND NUMBER 3 ALSO!"
Skit—Thump.
"AND NUMBER 8 AS WELL!"
"Haha! This is more like a cartoon show. Look how she slipped!"
"Noo, my poor baby!"
"My daughter's in the lead now!"
Wack—slip!
"Noo, my girl—"
"Haha, that's what you get for laughing at my daughter."
Meanwhile, the trio was eating snacks, ignoring the chaos.
"I mean, who cares about the race when you're hungry?" Suvro said.
"Ashraf, pass the water bottle," Noor said.
"Here you go, boss."
Gulp.
"OH NO, LOOK! NUMBER 1 IS CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE!"
"Hmph, these distractions mean nothing. These banana peels can't stop me. I'm going to win and show those two that I am the number o—"
Woosh.
Squelch—SPLAT.
Her shoe flew into the air. Everyone watched it until—
THUD.
It slammed straight into the Principal's face.
Gasp.
"Eek!"
The entire field froze.
Noor froze mid-gulp, water spilling down his shirt.
Suvro spat out the food in his mouth.
Ashraf's glasses cracked.
"WE ARE COOKED."
"Curse the management team for this weird tourname—" the girl started, but when she saw the situation, she quietly walked away.
The Principal removed the shoe drenched in mud and rotten banana peels and wiped his face with tissues.
"Everybody is knocked out, isn't they?"
"Yes, sir…" the announcer girl said, trembling.
"How much time is left?"
"Thirty-five seconds, sir."
"Well… the real race begins now," the Principal said with a creepy smile.
"Noor, pay attention. Something's about to happen," Ashraf whispered.
"But only thirty seconds lef—"
Shoosh.
A sharp gust of wind hit Noor's ear.
Ria and Jenny's starting positions… were empty.
"What—?" Noor gasped.
"JUST LOOK HOW FAST THEY'RE MOVING! EVEN THE MUD AND PEELS CAN'T STOP THEM!"
"Woah… look at that. They're moving like tornadoes. I can't even see them clearly," Noor muttered.
"Noor, what are you doing? Everyone's cheering! Cheer!" Suvro nudged him.
"Cheer who?"
"The Princess! Or the one whose family you owe, remember?"
"I'm nervous though…"
"Just do it, man."
"Okay…"
"THEY ARE CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE!"
Both girls glanced at each other—Ria serious, Jenny still smiling.
Noor suddenly yelled, "GO MISS JENNE!"
Ria lost concentration and fell. Jenny slowed down and crossed the finish line elegantly.
"AND THE RACE IS OVER!"
The crowd exploded with excitement.
Ria shot Noor a deadly glare.
Noor whispered, "Oops…" and hid behind Suvro.
"Noo, my child lost again… wahhh…" the Principal sobbed.
The trio slipped away from the scene.
"Noor, aren't you happy? Ria finally lost," Suvro said.
"Why would I be happy about her losing?"
"Oh come on, deep down you were rooting for the Princess," Ashraf teased.
"Most people did the same! And didn't you guys say I owe her?" Noor said, annoyed.
"Relax, man, I was kidding. Race is over, and Ria lost. I guess her fans won't bother you anymore. Look at the effort they made just to humiliate you."
"Yeah… you're right. But what about the other races?"
"GUYS!" Jamil came running.
"Here comes our breaking news—always running like he's being chased by a bear," Ashraf laughed.
"Ah, whatever! The rest of the races are cancelled. The sports management team said they'll fix the rules and handle the rest, and the crazy old man approved!"
"I guess we're out of trouble now."
"Yes, finally… enough of feeding people brainrots. Ouch—my stomach. I need the washroom. Guys, wait here."
Noor ran.
In the hallway—
"Oh man… my belly hurts… I need to get there fast.
Wait… is that Mister Rahim?
And who's with him…?"
Noor froze.
"DAD."