Chapter 5: Smile
The unusual sweltering heat of the late April Saturday could not dampen Riza's excitement. Eleven years old and bursting with energy, Riza had waited a long year for this special day to come along again. Today was the start of their small town's Summer Festival. However, the only part Riza was truly interested in was the field sporting events that was held for the kids of the town. The event bragged footraces of all sorts and contests of all manners.
Being overexcited, Riza had wanted to sign up for every single event as she had wanted to do in all the previous years. This often meant Roy was forced or coerced into participating in the same events. However, being lazy and unmotivated, Roy had convinced Riza to only sign up for handful of events as he had managed to do all the previous years.
Riza leaped onto the mattress and successfully bounced its sleeping contents onto the floor. With a loud crash and much complaining, Roy awoke from his slumber.
"Roy! Today's the day! Get up!"
"Do you have to do that every time you want me to wake up?" Roy grumbled as he emerged from under his blanket.
"Well, you usually don't wake up if I just call your name. However, bouncing you out of your bed seems to work all the time."
"I really just want to go back to bed." Roy muttered as he prepared to flop back onto his bed.
"No, you are not allowed. You have to be excited! We're going to win this year for sure!" Riza yanked the blanket away from her sleepy friend. "Don't forget. We're signed up for the relay race and the three-legged dash!"
"Don't remind me." Roy sighed as he reluctantly trudged towards his closet to change into more fitting attire for the day's events.
"Dad's also decided to come out, too. He's been really busy the last month with some sort of alchemy research thing, but he'll be out today! He says he's doing the archery contest again this year!"
Riza's amber eyes lit up with joy at the mention of her father attending the day's festivities. It was true though. Within the past few months, Berthold Hawkeye had feverously devoted himself to his research, saying he was on the verge of a breakthrough. Roy had felt sorry for Riza because that often meant she had nobody to pay her company at her house.
"That's good to hear."
Although he did not show it in his response, Roy was secretly glad Riza's father was emerging from his several months of seclusion.
"I'll be waiting for you outside. Your parents are putting together a picnic basket for all of us downstairs. See you in a bit."
And with that, Riza disappeared from the room in a hurry just as Roy began to change clothes. A picnic basket meant yummy food. Now that is something to be excited about. Roy had a feeling Riza had mentioned that on purpose to get him excited about today. He had to admit, her strategy definitely worked as he found himself looking forward to the day, or maybe it was her bursting excitement that was rubbing off on him. Roy shrugged. It did not matter much to him as long as a picnic basket was involved in the mix somehow.
"Roy, you should be thankful Riza makes sure you stick to your schedule." Roy's mother whispered to him as they left the house to join the Riza and her father for the festivities.
"Yeah, Mom. I know…"
Roy hated to admit it, but it was true.
"The first event of the day will be the obstacle course. All participants please line up in an orderly fashion at the north end of the field. The schedule of today's activities and their participants can be found…" Over the loudspeakers, the town's mayor made the announcements.
"Come on! That's the call for the obstacle race!"
Ignoring the monotonous announcements that followed, Riza grabbed Roy's arm and yanked him from the ground. Roy sullenly allowed himself to be dragged away from the sandwich he has just started to munch on. After a quick wave to their parents, Riza dragged her despairing friend towards a growing crowd of participants. After waiting impatiently for the final checks and adjustments, Riza concentrated, scrutinizing the course before her, and lined next to her fellow participants at the starting line.
Seeing his competitors, Roy gave a slight sigh of relief. He was at least grateful that everyone was in the general age group. The previous year, an older boy had managed to beat everyone easily. Although Roy was not planning on winning much less placing, he did not enjoy the fact of being beaten unfairly.
When all the preparations were complete, the referee gave the signal. With a shrill whistle, the race commenced. With her excellent reflexes coupled with speed and flexibility, Riza easily ducked, leaped, crawled, and swerved through the course. Nothing proved too difficult as she managed to keep ahead of the majority of her competitors. Roy, on the other hand, found himself struggling through till the very end. He felt his face grow red and flustered as he accidentally knocked over several cones as well as snagging his foot on a net of rope.
By the end of the race, Riza found herself neck to neck with three other boys her age. The finish line was fast approaching, and it was time to make the final push to the end. Riza threw in the last of her energy and crossed the finish line in third place.
Breathing heavily and with time to spare for coming in third, Riza went back to the finish line to cheer on her friend who had yet to finish the race. Roy was not in last, but if he did not pick up his pace, the others behind would soon overtake him.
"Roy!" Riza shouted between deep breaths of air. "Pretend Tatsu is chasing you!"
"You can do it, Roy!" Lily and Robert Mustang joined in on the cheering from the sideline.
Roy was getting tired. He heard the distant shouts of encouragement echoing in his ears as his legs began to feel like jelly. There is no way I'll be able to finish. I can't do it. I'm going to collapse. The finish line is so far away….
From the finish line, Riza saw that Roy had begun to slow down, the competitors behind him gaining ground. There was no way she would let him finish in last place. She had to do something and quick.
"Roy!" Riza came up with a brilliant plan. "You can rest and enjoy something to eat afterwards! Something nice from the picnic basket is waiting for you! Now finish the race!"
Roy heard Riza's words clearly. Picnic basket? It took a second for the Riza's words to hit home. Picnic basket! Rawwwwwrrr! Roy's eyes blazed with flaming determination as his speed suddenly doubled.
Riza watched in amazement as Roy not only increased the distance between him and those behind him, but he even managed to pass two others in front of him. As Roy stormed across the finish line, he ran straight into a chokingly tight hug from Riza.
"Good job, Roy! See. That wasn't too bad."
"R-riza. Too tight. N-not breathing." Roy gasped.
"Oh, sorry." Riza giggled as she let go of her breathless friend.
Roy collapsed in a heap on the ground and laid there on his back. His parents soon ran up congratulating him for his performance.
"Alright. Now, take me to my reward."
Roy grinned as he lay on the ground. With the help of his parents, Riza had slung an arm around Roy to support him as they took Roy to his reward.
"Okay, Roy. Rest up. You'll need it since our next event is the three-legged race." Riza announced as Roy sipped graciously on a cool bottle of lemonade. "It's your last event, right? I don't understand why you only signed up for two events, but you better give your last one everything you've got."
"Don't worry. I will." Roy replied, distracted by his sweet beverage.
"Good. You rest, while I help Dad get ready for the archery contest."
Roy watched with a smile as Riza ran off to join Berthold Hawkeye, who was stringing a rather elaborate looking bow. He recognized the bow as the one that adorned a special corner in the Hawkeye private library. It was a magnificent Xingese bow that Riza's father had acquired during his travels in Xing. Roy was glad that Riza was smiling and happy. Ever since her father had become so busy with his alchemy research, Roy had noticed that she had become more reserved and smiled less. Roy knew he probably could never admit it to her, but just seeing her smile was enough to brighten even the worst of days.
"And our winner for the bean bag shot put is…" The speakers continued to announce the second and third place winners.
Roy looked around to find people applauding for a burly but short sixth grader, and just as he expected, Riza had come racing back to find him.
"It's time for the three-legged race now!" Riza eagerly pulled Roy off the blanket. Roy sighed and hoped he regained enough energy to keep up with her in the three-legged race.
With the final knot tied, the two friends walked towards the last event of the field day. As soon as the start signal was given, Roy felt himself lurch forward as Riza with her arm around his shoulders exploded from the starting line. Roy tried his best to synchronize with Riza's breathtaking pace. However, at some points, Roy definitely felt as if she was partially carrying him, or else he would have not been able to keep up.
Roy and Riza soared past the other competitors and won first well ahead of anyone else. In her excitement, Riza forgot about the knot around their legs and leaped for joy, causing both to tumble to the ground. Roy found himself flat on his back and looked up to find Riza practically laying on him, her face hovering right above his. They looked at each other for a moment in surprise. Realization finally dawning on them, Roy and Riza both blushed and struggled to get up as their parents ran up congratulating them and helping untie the knot.
(~~~)
After the long awards ceremony, everyone except Roy's mother, who was already at home, headed for the Mustang's house to celebrate the end of the day's festivities. Lily Mustang had left early to prepare for the occasion. Riza was skipping happily in front of Roy, his father, and her own father. She had participated in several other footraces after the three-legged race, which was evident from several clinking medals hanging around her neck.
"Looks like you beat me again in the medal count." Roy joked, knowing that such an event would never happen in his lifetime. "But still, congratulations."
"Thanks, Roy." Riza laughed happily as she gave Roy a brilliant smile.
Roy could not help but smile back.
