UPCOMING COMPETITION

As I walked into school on Wednesday, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves. The principal's announcement over the loudspeaker caught everyone's attention.

"Attention all students," the principal began. "We have an exciting opportunity to share with you. Our school will be participating in a music competition against Raya Castle High School, and we're inviting all students to participate."

The room erupted in cheers and chatter, but I felt a knot in my stomach. The principal continued, explaining that the competition would have five positions, with the top three winners receiving a handsome reward. But what caught my attention was the registration fee: $180 per participant.

I felt a wave of panic wash over me. Where was I going to get that kind of money? I knew my parents would struggle to afford it, and I didn't want to burden them.

Meanwhile, Sonia was bouncing up and down, a huge grin on her face. "This is going to be so much fun!" she exclaimed.

The principal continued, explaining that students would need to form their own music groups to practice, and that there would be a test in four days to determine who would represent the school in the competition.

I felt overwhelmed, unsure of how I was going to participate, let alone afford the registration fee. But as I looked around at my classmates, I knew I couldn't give up. I had to find a way to make it work.

Olivia sensed my mood and walked over to me, concern etched on her face.

"Hey, Luna, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing my worried expression.

I sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "It's just the music competition. I really want to participate, but I don't know how I'm going to afford the registration fee."

Olivia's expression softened, and she put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Luna. We'll figure something out. We can talk to the principal, or maybe even start a fundraiser. We'll make it work."

" Don't bother about that losers won't be needed Sonia said from behind with a smirk

"Luna smiled facing Sonia, 'Hey winner, pass the test, let's see. Pass the test on Wednesday.'"

"Oh, you think you're so smart, don't you?" Sonia sneered, pulling out a piece of paper from her bag.

Olivia's voice cut through the air, "You are a loser, Sonia, a cheap one." I felt a surge of gratitude towards my friend for standing up for me.

Sonia's face turned bright red with anger, and I could see the fury building up inside her. But Olivia didn't back down, standing her ground with confidence. I felt a sense of pride knowing that I had a friend like Olivia who would defend me no matter what.

Sonia's eyes flashed with anger, and she took a step closer to Olivia. "How dare you!" she spat, her voice venomous.

But Olivia didn't flinch. She stood her ground, her eyes locked on Sonia's. "I dare because someone needs to tell you the truth," she said, her voice steady.

I watched in awe as Olivia stood up to Sonia. I had never seen anyone confront Sonia like that before. Sonia was used to getting her way, and she didn't take kindly to being challenged.

The air was thick with tension as Sonia and Olivia faced off. I held my breath, wondering what would happen next.

As Sonia's hand flew towards Olivia's face, I reacted instinctively, grabbing Sonia's arm along with Olivia. Together, we pulled Sonia's arm back and down, forcing her to lose her balance.

Sonia landed on the floor with a thud, her eyes blazing with fury. The commotion drew the attention of the entire school, and soon, a crowd had gathered around us.

Olivia and I stood tall, our arms still outstretched from grabbing Sonia's arm, our eyes locked on Sonia in a silent challenge. The school's hallway was filled with the sound of murmurs and snickers, and I could feel the weight of the crowd's attention on us.

The crowd's murmurs grew louder, and some students started to snicker and whisper to each other. Sonia's face turned bright red with anger and humiliation as she struggled to get up from the floor.

Olivia and I stood firm, our eyes never leaving Sonia's face. We were a united front, and we weren't going to back down.

The school principal, Mrs. Johnson, appeared out of nowhere, her face stern and disapproving. "What's going on here?" she demanded, her voice loud and authoritative.

The crowd fell silent, and all eyes were on Mrs. Johnson. Sonia, still seated on the floor, looked up at Mrs. Johnson with a mixture of anger and pleading in her eyes.

"My office now Mrs Johnson yelled walking away

Sonia stormed off towards the office, still fuming, with Olivia and I following closely behind. Mrs. Johnson gestured for us to take seats in front of her desk.

As we sat down, Sonia immediately picked up the phone on Mrs. Johnson's desk. "I'm calling my father," she said, her voice trembling with rage.

Olivia stood up, her eyes flashing with anger. "I'm calling my father too," she said, pulling out her own phone.

Mrs. Johnson's expression turned stern. "Put those phones away, both of you," she said firmly. "We're going to resolve this situation right here, right now."

Sonia and Olivia hesitated, then slowly put their phones away. Mrs. Johnson leaned back in her chair, steepling her fingers together. "Now, let's talk about what happened," she said calmly.

"So, Sonia, you were involved in an altercation with Olivia and Luna," Mrs. Johnson began. "Can you tell me what happened from your perspective?"

Sonia's face twisted in a scowl. "Those two were being rude and disrespectful to me," she said. "They think they're so perfect just because they're friends with each other."

Olivia and I exchanged a glance, and I could see the indignation in her eyes. Mrs. Johnson held up a hand, forestalling Olivia's response.

"Let's hear from Olivia now," Mrs. Johnson said. "What's your side of the story?"

Olivia took a deep breath before launching into a calm, clear account of what had happened. "Sonia was insulting Luna, and I stood up for her," she said. "Sonia got angry and tried to slap me, but Luna and I stopped her."

Mrs. Johnson's expression was thoughtful as she listened to Olivia's account. When Olivia finished, Mrs. Johnson turned to me. "Luna, can you confirm Olivia's story?" she asked.

Sonia's voice was venomous as she spat out the words. "You're just a new student, Luna, and already you're causing trouble. You think you're so special just because you're friends with Olivia?"

Mrs. Johnson's eyes narrowed. "Sonia, that's enough," she said firmly. "We're not here to make personal attacks. We're here to resolve the situation and find out what really happened."

I felt a surge of anger at Sonia's words, but I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "I'm not trying to cause trouble," I said quietly. "I'm just standing up for myself and my friends."

Olivia put a hand on my arm, a gesture of support. "Luna's telling the truth, Mrs. Johnson," she said. "Sonia was being really mean and insulting. We were just defending ourselves."