Update: May 4 2016
The assembly set up for seventh hour in the gym. They gym filled up quickly after Jessica, Jasper, Eric, Angela and I were seated on a small platform in the center of the gym. Class by class the rest of the school appeared and filled the bleachers with instructions from their teachers since they couldn't apparently do it by themselves. The noise caused by their talking was almost defining. I guess they were really happy to be out of class. While I was quite happy to be out of class but I was nervous about the announcement.
I glanced around at the others on the platform. Eric's eyes hadn't left his phone since he sat down. Angela was going over her notes for some class. Jasper was reading a book whose cover I couldn't see. Jessica was being herself and primping in her compact mirror like she was going on a date or like she knew she was going to win but something told me that wasn't going to happen.
I sat up a little straighter when the principle and his assistant walked up on to the platform from the back of the gym. The two men stood in front of us.
"Ladies and Gentlemen please quiet down. So we can continue on." He said. "Each of the entrants will be reading a short section of their story. The readings will then be followed by a short question and answer section."
"You can ask them anything but keep it appropriate and keep it short." The assistant announced. "Then and only then will we announce who wins the contest." He walked over to us. "Pull out a slip of paper." He said. "Whatever number is written on it is the position you read in. Do you all understand?"
"I do." All of us but Jessica said.
Jessica replied with "Of course we understand we are not idiots."
"I never implied that you were and idiot Miss. Stanley. Please pick a slip out."
Angela was the first to pick and she got a four. She was followed by Eric who pulled a two. Jessica smacked my hand out of the way and pulled a one. Jasper then went next (I had let him) and pulled a three. That left me with the five and in the last position to read.
I did not mind that I would be going last in the reading line up. It would give me a chance to figure out which part of my story that I want to read. I figured I could read the big scene in the story.
Jessica set her compact down. Stood up and smoothed out her skirt and walked up to the microphone and started to read the story and my ears wanted to bleed. I could not wait for her to stop reading. A minute into her story and I was already zoning out and nearly falling asleep. I had to pinch myself several times to keep myself from falling asleep.