“Mulenga stop biting your nails, you’ll have nothing left to bite when you’re celebrating later on” Samm teased Mulenga as he set up his booth. “I bite my nails when I’m stressed! I don’t dance but here you are convincing me to take it up as my project and to top it off, I am probably a target during this fair, easy for you to relax.” Mulenga spoke with her fingers in her mouth, hardly audible for Samm but he didn’t ask her to repeat herself. Knowing that Mulenga was underpressure Samm chose not to add on anymore than was currently necessary.
To the right of Mulenga, was a big lego robot looking machine with the name Paul painted across its chest in yellow. Everywhere Mulenga’s eyes darted they were confronted with busy kids, some pacing around trying to get their projects in order, others practicing their presentations and in the midst of all this chaos she spotted the most beautiful sight seemingly out of order amongst the chaos.
“Kezipe, who is that boy?” Mulenga asked pointing towards the only other out of place individual in the room. Mulenga’s pointing and staring were spotted by the boy who took the pointing as a call to action standing up and following his curiosity.
“You found the most beautiful boy…” But before Kezipe could finish her thoughts, Mulenga covered her mouth as the boy walked towards them.
“Now you have to tell me what she said” Kangwa smiled as he spoke to Mulenga without taking his eyes from her. Mulenga took her hands from Kezipe’s mouth trying to act normal.
“Nothing really, I was wondering why you looked so calm unlike most people here” Mulenga replied, holding her hands in her lap trying not to seem unusual.
“That’s cool, but I want to know what she said” Kangwa smiled back at Mulenga pointing at the now free Kezipe. The girls looked at each other trying to telepathically come up with a lie.
“The fair is about to begin. All students make your way to your booth as judging will commence immediately. Thank you.” A voice errupted from the speakers causing silence in the auditorium and the girls sighed their relief in unison.
“Lucky, lucky, lucky” Kangwa beamed an amused smile before gradually making his way back to his booth.
“Are you done being in love?” Samm asked without bothering to peel his eyes away from his speaker. The girls both stared at Samm as he kept on assembling his speakers to complete his perfect 7 speaker combo they hadn’t stopped hearing about for days on end.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Samm said finally coming up from under his handcrafted machine of steal. “It can modify all sound pitches without hurting people’s ears” Samm said beaming with joy at his creation.
“Ready. Set. Begin!” Came the voice from the speakers signifying the judges in white coats to go round and begin to check out the different projects.
An uneasy silence fell over the auditorium as nervousness set into the various students with Mulenga resorting to biting her nails. The long the white coats took to get to her the more her nerves increased causing her to bite her nails even more.
Mulenga saw a white coat finally arrive in front of her and when she looked up her face went pale “Hello Mulenga” Judge Chongo spoke with a smile as she glossed over Mulenga’s booth hoping to see her project but Mulenga was still in some shock and couldn’t gather her wits quickly
“Mulenga do join us in the world please. Where is your project?” Judge Chongo asked again this time stretching her hand out to shake the shocked Mulenga. Mulenga reacted instinctively by grabbing her hand and applying pressure on it before Kezipe could speak sense to her confused friend.
“Sorry, please forgive my friend she’s dancing as her project but she gets performance anxiety” Samm spoke up trying to defend her friend before the event was ruined for them all.
“I could help with her performance anxiety, if you’d allow?” Kangwa had popped up from behind the judge with his smile armed and ready.
“How exactly would you be helping?” Judge Chongo turned her head to ask Kangwa before she decided on a course of action.
“I’m yet to be evaluated, but I’m nosey and her friend here said she was dancing. Just like me. If you’d allow we can present ours together”
Kangwa continued with a smile as the possibilities to break rules swirled round his head.
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