Hello everyone! This prompt is actually based off of something that happened over the weekend.

"Oh overlord! Why did I come here?" Nya mumbles, attempting to wipe away her tears from her face as they stream down her cheeks. She crumples the tissue, squeezing it as her heart continues to pound in her chest. Grabbing the edges of the sink, she stares in the mirror. Her tear-streaked, panicked expression stares back at her. The distant chatter of the room outside is beginning to fade away as Nya's increasing panic begins to take over.

She's not sure she can do this. People had already been staring at her when she was pacing back and forth, and at this point, it was already pretty obvious she had been crying. No matter how hard she tried, she could not hold back her tears. She refused to cry in front of others, but now, it was getting hard. Her anxiety and panic had continued to pile on top of each other throughout the morning, and, as a result, here she was. Sobbing in the bathroom because she's too scared to make a speech.

She hated herself for it. For being so weak.

She was supposed to represent her class, her school, her district...and yet here she was, trying to pull herself together before her competition.

She didn't think she'd be able to calm down in time.

Nya wasn't even sure why she was so scared; all she had to do was summarize the story she'd written and she'd be fine. It would be fine if it wasn't perfect; after all, she hadn't practiced at all. This wasn't her fault.

This wasn't her fault.

Nya keeps telling herself that, but it doesn't seem to be working. Her breathing speeds up as panic blinds her vision. Dammit, if she can just pull herself together for a few minutes then she can get through this. Then, after she has ripped the band aid off, then she can cry in the bathroom for as long as she wants.

But why is it so hard to keep the tears in? Maybe she should go back to Sensei Wu and explain why she couldn't do this.

But...he wouldn't accept that. He knew she could do this! That's why she's here, isn't it?

Wiping her eyes away once more, she tosses the used tissue in the trashcan. Well, she's here, so she might as well compete, right? Even if this turns out to be a complete disaster. It's likely that she'll never see these people again. Her grip on her purse tightens as she hurries out of the bathroom, heart quickening in pace as she can feel eyes land on her shaking figure. She makes it to the table she and another competitor had been sitting earlier.

Nya finds that her chair has been taken away for someone else's use, causing Nya to sigh heavily.

Standing there awkwardly, she pretends to re-read her speech as her mind continues to run at different scenarios. Nya running out of the competition room in tears, silently begging for people not to stare. Nya forcing jumbled words and mashed phrases through her tears. Her doing something else embarrassing in front of the judges.

She sneaks a glance around the room. All of the other competitors are standing around chattering and laughing. None of them look as nervous as Nya does, which sends a wave of embarrassment through her.

Another wave of tears threatens to spill as she bites her lip. How in the hell can she compete against these people?! They're so prepared compared to her. Flicking the edge of the packet of papers back and forth as her knees continue to become more unsteady with each passing second, her heart begins to hammer a mile a minute as her eyes anxiously dart here and there.

"Hey, are you okay?" asks a voice behind her. Eyes going wide, Nya spins to face a tall, handsome man with fluffy black hair and dark green eyes. She takes a step back, hoping she doesn't look like too much of a wreck.

"Oh...uh...yeah, I-I'm just really nervous," she replies, voice cracking slightly. She doesn't even try to smile, knowing that she's really not in the mood.

He nods, a grin appearing. "I understand. What competition are you doing?"

"Prepared Speech," she starts, "but I g-got placed in the wrong one. Um...I wrote an essay, but for some reason it got mixed up with this competition, and I wasn't expecting to actually have to recite it by memory, so I haven't practiced at all..."

Another nod. "I see. Okay. First of all." He sticks his arm out to signal a side hug, which Nya gladly accepts. "It's going to be okay. I know public speaking is scary." He releases her, then reaches into the pocket of his blazer, "I have one somewhere..." he mumbles, shuffling around.

Nya notices that his nametag reads 'Cole Brookestone – Extemporaneous Speech - Contestant 103'. She fiddles with her own nametag - 'Nya Smith – Prepared Speech – Contestant 106' - and averts her gaze as she does so.

"Ah, here we are! You can wipe your tears with this," he says, tugging a handkerchief out of the pocket before handing it to her.

"Oh...thank you..." Nya says, accepting the cloth and patting her eyes a little.

"Alright. Do you have a copy of your speech on you?" he questions, glancing at her.

"Yeah, right here," she replies, placing the folder down on the table, anxiously eyeing him as he opens it and shuffles through the papers.

"Let's see...you've got your essay, resume, and a verification form. Perfect." He places the papers back inside but leaves the folder open to expose her speech.

"Okay, so. First of all: deep breath. In through your nose, out through your mouth." Nya obeys, sucking in oxygen through her nose, holding it, then exhaling.

"Alright. So, you've got everything you need. You just need to breathe; these are just the pre-competition jitters, you know? See, a speech is like a one-on-one conversation. All you have to do is keep the conversation going. Another cool thing about speech is that the only person who knows you've made a mistake is you. Only you. I don't know if they'll have a copy of this speech in front of them, but still."

Nya nods, the tears beginning to slow. She knows that this is more than pre-competition jitters.

This is full-blown panic attack.

"Everyone gets these nervous jitters beforehand, alright? Just do your best, and next year you can come back stronger! Just get in there, say what you need to say, then you're done!" He smiles. "What grade are you in?"

"N-ninth," Nya admits.

"A freshman. See, you're a freshman and you're already at the State level!" He replies, grinning. "That's impressive. And, if you don't do well this year, then you can come back next year. Like I said, better and stronger."

Nya smiles shyly, handing the handkerchief back. "Thank you."

He nods. "No problem. It's your first time, so no one expects you to be perfect, okay? Just do your best. This is your story. You wrote it, so you should be pretty familiar with it, right? Just summarize the key points, go into detail whenever it feels right."

"Okay," she responds, "thank you. I-um, appreciate the advice. I've never made a speech before."

"Don't mention it. I remember my first speech," he laughs, "it...didn't go that well. But, even it doesn't go well, you can still stay you did your best!" Someone calls his name, but he holds a finger to them, then turns back to her.

"Oh, I guess you have to go," Nya states.

"Yeah. But tell me how it goes! Good luck and remember what I said!" He yells before giving her another side hug and sauntering back to his friend.

Nya smiles, her tears now not as eager to escape. He was right; this is her first time. No one expects her to be perfect.

She smiles to herself softly. No one expects her to be perfect. That line alone makes her feel a tad better.

"I can do this," she mutters, smiling a little bit.

Would you be interested in a series of short stories revolving around a similar AU? I might write something about it.

I swear I'm finishing this before I die. Thank you for your patience!