You're mine!

"We will have a series of five games. In every game we will be eliminating five pairs, if you got eliminated at the first game, you'll get one point for this activity." The students whined. "I'm not changing my mind. Two points for those eliminated at second round, three points for third, four points for fourth and only one pair will be getting a perfect score."

"Sir it's an advantage for Natalia since you're her partner!" One girl complained and the others agreed with her.

"I will play by the rules, and the games need more cooperation and synchronisation than strength." He explained. "And one more thing, your special powers are prohibited. The first two games will be held here, and for the other three, will be doing it at the open field. Now... Let's start?" We shouted a 'yes'. "The first game is..." He raised a huge box. "Untie the knot. Say goodbye to the last five pairs to untangle the strings. Once it is cut off, you loses. No one touches it until my signal, anyone cheating can also say their farewell." Every pair standing in front of a stool with a bell. He put the strings one by one on top of it. He placed one in front of me. Woah! It's so thin and tight and long. "For your information, I am not the one who tied these strings... When you're done ring your bell and sign upfront and make sure to include the place you came in. And since I can't really observe because I will be playing, I ask everyone to be honest." He walked to my side. "When I ring this bell, it means start. I'll give you two minutes to discuss strategy with your partners."

I'm hesitant to approach him so I just stared at the string. Be good to me string. "Hey you don't want to win? Because I do. I'm feeling so competitive right now, let's win this." I laughed.

"Can I nag at you if you happen to mess up?" I joked to him.

"If you agree to have a failing grade if you're the one messing up."

"That's abuse of power." I said while laughing.

"I was just trying to put you at ease. I'm encouraging cooperation and synchronisation, might as well practice what I preach. And I'm trying to prevent you from sleeping at my class again." I gave an embarrassed laugh.

"I'm pretty sure I won't... today." And we both laughed.

"Let's work on opposite ends." I nodded at him then he rang the bell. We held the string up, our body facing each other but our eyes on what were doing. This fucking string! It would've been easier if it's a bit thicker. We had just untangled half, when two bells rang. I moved faster, my face moving closer to the string. My pupils almost crossing. I lost count of the rings, we were almost finished. Few knots are left, I leave them up to Sir Zach. I placed my hands on top of the bell, ready to ring it. When Sir Zach looked at me giving me signals that he's done, I quickly pressed it. We ran upfront then signed, we wrote number eighteen next to our names.

"We almost didn't make it." He panted. Why is he breathing heavily? We just stand there. I laughed at him. I went back to my position leaving Sir at the front.

Sir Zach blocked a pair. "Hold up! The party's full." The pair hissed. He marked the names of the eliminated. "Let's move on to th-" The door suddenly opened revealing Blaze. I smiled widely. He looked at me confused why the room's a mess right now. I pointed at him then at me, trying to tell he's my partner. 'You're mine.' I mouthed him. And he looked shock. I returned my focus to the front. Why couldn't I think of better words to describe the situation? That was so embarrassing. "Blaze you're finally here. Then that ends my comradeship with Ms. Natalia." I laughed. Then he motioned Blaze to my side. "You could ask your partner for explanations." Sir Zach rounded again, giving every pair a small tray with something inside.

"Hey where have you been?" I shout in a whisper.

"What's happening?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Figure it out on your own." I rolled my eyes at him.

"What?" Why is he mad? I'm just doing what he always do.

"Well, you never answer any of my questions." I shrugged.

"Your question is different from my question."

"How is it different? They are both questions!" We were arguing while trying to keep our voice low.

"My questions are rational, yours is-"

"Irrational? Sorry for asking you irrational things. I won't do it again. Ever." I rolled my eyes at him. Sir Zach reached us and placed the same thing he placed to others, I noticed a cutter with it. What are we going to do with that?

"Next game is... Puzzle!" What? Everybody is asking how is this a puzzle. "You see the cutter, right? And there's a board right? You need to cut the board with exactly seven lines. You need to cut from end to end, you cannot stop half-way, understand?"

"Can we cut it parallel?" A student asked.

"Yes, you can." Sir answered.

"Then that would be easy!" Another exclaimed and the others agreed to him.

"Yes it would be easy... for the one who will solve your puzzle." The whole class is confused again. "You will give the board to the pair next to you and they are the one who will solve it. So I recommend you to cut it into the most complex way you can rather that cutting it parallel... I will give you five minutes to cut and solving will be a race. First fifteen pairs will be advancing to the third game. We'll start cutting in three..." The whole class joined in counting. "Two... One! Now!"

I picked up the cutter and stared at the board. I'm thinking of doing this thing on my own. First, I cut it horizontally. Then I just cut it thoughtlessly. "I noticed you don't use your brain often." I looked at Blaze. Keep calm Sheen. I handed him the cutter and he was surprised. I didn't utter the word and just wait for him to figure out what I wanted to convey. "How many cuts you already did?"

"You don't know how to count mister?" I said not looking at him. I heard him exhaled sharply.

"In three... Two... One... Give the board to the pair on your right." He handed them the board and I got the board from our left. I put it at the table and just stared at it. Blaze pushed me to the side and started solving the puzzle. "Ring the bell when you're done." Sir Zach shouted.

"You're just gonna watch?"

"Are you asking for help because you can't finish it?" I mocked him. He stared me down then rang the bell. What the? I looked at the board, it's done. He walked to the front holding the puzzle on his hand. Sir Zach acknowledge our success then let us sign our names, writing the number one beside it.