CHAPTER 25- COMPETITION HASSLE
Chloe woke up excited and confident she'd do the school proud. She had taken her time to prepare and master her winning techniques. Skye and Robin were her biggest cheerleaders, something to be grateful for.
She didn't relate as much with Lopez who clearly seemed like she had moved past their scuffle, regarding the other afternoon when she returned from the holidays.
"Hi, good morning Lopez." Chloe said.
"Good morning Chloe. All the best." Lopez said, masking her sinister intentions.
"Thank you so much."
"Miss Chloe, the dance team representing the school and selected students, get ready. The vehicle is parked in the pavilion to get you to the White House for the competition. We leave in ten minutes." The woman announced over the school's PA system.
Chloe dashed out and said a couple of hellos to everyone before boarding the luxurious bus, all set to take them to the venue.
The magnificent structure left everyone wowed.
The competition started with a welcome address by the host before everyone was asked to applaud the President for his immense contributions towards the organization and planning of the biannual event.
The eight schools were called upon to present their weeks of preparation, the crowd went wild with excitement.
Several cheers and "wow, that is my girl. Go girl.." filled the air.
Chloe gave a very soulful performance and Skye did the unthinkable, he ran up the stage when she was done and kissed her in front of everyone. The crowd went into a frenzy. Girls were very upset and Chloe was beyond stunned to utter a word.
Skye held her hand and took a bow while yelling, "I'm so proud of her. Y'all, she is my girlfriend."
Chloe was flustered and so numb but Skye stayed all through with her on stage up until the time they exit the stage.
Chloe regained composure and landed him a very dirty and resounding slap that reverberated backstage. "What was that for? How could you not give me a heads up? You just embarrassed me on stage. I give you an opportunity to get close to me again and you freaking do this? I don't want to set my eyes on you. Get lost this minute!!!" Chloe screamed.
Still running his hands on his warm cheek as a result of the slap, Skye looked around, visibly embarrassed. He just apologized and walked away. Inwardly, he told himself never to humiliate himself and be made a fool of again because of emotions and feelings of love for anyone.
"I'm clearly not needed here. I apologize Chloe. Never again." He turned and walked away without looking back.
Everyone else was staring at Chloe in the changing room.
"What are y'all looking at??!!! Get lost!!" She yelled.
In less than twenty minutes, an announcement was made...
"All participating schools are requested to come up stage for the announcement.
The eight schools were represented by their best dancers and it was indeed a tough decision to make judging by the faces of the judges. The heartrate of the dancers had definitely spiked.
The judge spoke in her sweet and soothing voice, to calm the nerves of everyone in the hall.
"I must commend you all for your exceptional performance today. I must say, you all blew our minds off the rooftop. In competitions, we know the concept of winning and qualifying for the next phase is paramount. Some people will regroup and be asked to do better and some will proceed to battle for the topmost position. In today's ballet triathlon, it is no exception.
So, after a thorough scrutiny by myself and my colleagues here, we reached a decision that the following schools have made it straight to the finale of this competition while, the other five schools will be assigned professional instructors to teach the dancers on a year's contract with all the benefits attached. Of course, consolation prizes will be given to the schools. If you hear your name, you have successfully scaled through this stage to the finale to battle for the Cup.
I'd allow my colleague to call them out."
"Thank you Ella." The man in a tuxedo said.
"Oh, it is my pleasure Lucas." Ella said in response.
"I am delighted to announce the top three schools as finalists in the Biannual Event. The Ballet Triathlon Competition has recorded amazing feats. Let us give a round of applause for:
Berliners Ballet Club
Honeybloomers Academy
Superminx Dance Group
Congratulations on your qualifying for the grand finale which holds tomorrow night. Bring your A-game on. I wish you all the best in your endeavours."
The crowd went wild with excitement, as the judges were seen exiting the hall with the security detail attached to them.
"Congratulations to you all, you did excellently well." Schoolmates from Honeybloomers Academy gave high fives to their mates and were really happy.
Robin came to single out Chloe who was leaving the stage. "Hey Chloe, that was a beautiful performance. What is the matter? Why don't you look happy?"
"Have you seen Skye? I wasn't nice to him and I'm sure he is my good luck charm. I jinxed it, I messed up. Robin, I slapped him, embarrassed him in front of the team, yelled at him and told him I never wanted to see him again. I said things I didn't even mean and now, I miss him." Chloe stifled a tear.
"Don't cry please, we'd find him. Call him."
"Okay, but I didn't bring my phone along."
Robin offered her his own phone, "here, use mine. I have his contact too, call him."
Chloe dialled the number but no one was answering, she then dropped a voicemail.
"Skye, this is Chloe. I am really sorry for how I acted today. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry. Please call me back. I love you, I really do. Please don't leave me again. Please." Chloe was sobbing.
"Sorry dear, you can hold on to the phone on the bus ride and even took we get to school to see if he'd call back." Robin told her.
"I an grateful Robin, thank you."
The students got into the vehicle and they got back to school. The Principal commended them and declared the whole day to be for celebrations and the time to strategize to clinch the prize. The celebration was in full swing when Robin's phone rang.
Chloe was excited to get a call back but was shocked when she answered the phone.
"Hello Skye, I'm glad you called back. I'm really sorry for how I acted tonight, it was so unfair of me to do that. You were looking out for me and I pushed you away. I'm sorry, please come back. I miss you around. I love you, I do. 😍"
The receiver was silent, and suddenly started to cry.
"Hello? What's going on?" Chloe asked.
"Chloe, this isn't Skye." The mature female voice said.
"Who is this then?" Chloe's heart was already recording several palpitations.
"This is Skye's mother, Vanessa. I'm sorry sweetie, Skye died a few months ago while on the football field. His heart gave up that afternoon, he slumped and didn't make it through. He has been buried too. I'm sorry dear." Vanessa sobbed loudly.
"Ma'am, I am lost. I saw Skye a few hours ago. He even enrolled here in the Honeybloomers Academy and kept repeating that he came to be my support system and I had asked about the football academy and he told me he quit it." Chloe felt her heart constrict in her chest.
"Yes dear, he quit. He died, that's what he meant. He really loved you, that's why he reached out to you even in death. I don't believe in ghosts but this confirms they exist. I'm sorry Chloe, I have to go change the timer on my washing machine. I was doing laundry when you called. I'm sorry dear. He did ask me to tell you he loves you...I saw that in his diary a few days ago. Take care of yourself dear girl." Vanessa ended the call.
Chloe's legs gave way under her. She began to feel weak. Robin walked up to her and hoisted her up.
"Look at me Chloe, you're blacking out. What happened? Who was that? Why do you look pale? Come on, sit down and breathe. Are you okay?" Robin asked.
Chloe kept shaking her head and crying. Her shoulders were shaking profusely when she managed to speak. "He is dead Robin. Dead, gone, buried. I just confirmed it."
"What do you mean? Who is dead?" Robin was concerned about how she spoke in awkward tones.
"Okay don't worry, my phone does an automatic call recording. Let me play it. I can't understand you in totality." He said.
"Better, do that." Chloe sniffed.
Robin opened his call recording folder, unsure of what to expect but he did.
The playback:
"Hello Skye, I'm glad you called back. I'm really sorry for how I acted tonight, it was so unfair of me to do that. You were looking out for me and I pushed you away. I'm sorry, please come back. I miss you around. I love you, I do. 😍"
The receiver was silent, and suddenly started to cry.
"Hello? What's going on?" Chloe asked.
"Chloe, this isn't Skye." The mature female voice said.
"Who is this then?" Chloe's heart was already recording several palpitations.
"This is Skye's mother, Vanessa. I'm sorry sweetie, Skye died a few months ago while on the football field. His heart gave up that afternoon, he slumped and didn't make it through. He has been buried too. I'm sorry dear." Vanessa sobbed loudly.
"Ma'am, I am lost. I saw Skye a few hours ago. He even enrolled here in the Honeybloomers Academy and kept repeating that he came to be my support system and I had asked about the football academy and he told me he quit it." Chloe felt her heart constrict in her chest.
"Yes dear, he quit. He died, that's what he meant. He really loved you, that's why he reached out to you even in death. I don't believe in ghosts but this confirms they exist. I'm sorry Chloe, I have to go change the timer on my washing machine. I was doing laundry when you called. I'm sorry dear. He did ask me to tell you he loves you...I saw that in his diary a few days ago. Take care of yourself dear girl." Vanessa ended the call."
"Oh my goodness. I can't believe this Chloe. I am so sorry 😞. You do need to breathe and process this." Robin assured her in his little way.
"How Robin? How? He probably came back to tell me a proper goodbye and I was a jerk. Even up to the very last moments, I slapped him and sent him away. Gosh, I'm a really horrible person. I hope I learn to forgive myself one day for this which I have done. I really am sorry." Chloe sobbed into Robin's shirt.
He patted her back and told her to freshen up and get some rest.
"Good night Chloe. Try and put this behind till you finish the competition, please." Robin said from a place of genuine concern.
"Thank you, I'd try. You are a good friend Robin." She said.
"It is the least I can do. Now, off you go to bed." He walked her to the hallway and watched her enter her dorm.
"What a day indeed." Robin sighed.
Lopez wasn't in the room when Chloe got back in. To Chloe, it was the best thing. She had time to be herself, freshen up and fall asleep without having to say hi anybody. She wasn't ready to fight fire with fire, considering how her emotions were in disarray; she could end up transferring aggression.
Meanwhile...
Lopez was having her evil meeting with her newest catch in the cafeteria. They had ordered something to decorate the table with as a ruse to orchestrate the vile plans. Cindy had clearly mapped out the perfect way to take out Chloe with a simple bathroom accident.
"So, all I have to do is rub this underneath her bathroom footwear and pour same in the tub? Will it do the trick?" Lopez asked for clarification purposes.
"Most definitely Loci. It doesn't just work, the goo leaves no traces. You can't find it in a lab. And considering that she'd be in the bathroom when the domestic accident will happen, no one will suspect a thing. She can even break many more things upon impact, aside her ankle. Be rest assured." Cindy smirked.
"I love it already. Let me rush back and do so before she gets back in. You know I love you." Lopez blew an imaginary kiss and squeezed Cindy's hand.
"Good night Loci." Cindy said.
After paying for their late night junk, they both left the snacks behind. That is at least some good deed, reserving dinner for the little kids that help clear out the plates.