Chapter Text
“ You guys are the youngest competirators this year? How disappointing!” One of the high schooler graders jeered and pointed.
“Correction, it’s com-pet-it-ors.” Ray pronounced the word slowly. “Please educate yourself before trying to making fun of someone who is more educated than you.” Ray crossed his arms and looked up to the older kids with a mocking smile.
“Or do you need me to spell it out for you too?” Ray snickered.
“You—!” One of the girls from the group shouted. She stomped her foot and dragged the boy who made fun of them away. The others accompanying left the room, making faces at the three.
“I won’t forget this! See you in the finals! I’ll beat you up!” The boy who was just humiliated yelled out, “See you in the finals! I’ll beat you up!”
Ray snorted and made a face at the kids who left the room. They were waiting to be placed inside a bus for the national spelling bee.
“Ray, you better watch out. They look like they wanted to beat you up, physically.” Norman said.
“Whatever happens, Emma’s gonna kick any of them down. Right, Emma?”
Emma glared at Ray. “If you keep getting yourself in unnecessary trouble I won’t bother protecting you!” Emma warned.
“Petty.” Ray fake pouted and looked away.
“Man, once we get there, everyone’s gonna make fun of us…” Norman sighed.
An announcement coming from the speakers came onto broadcast.
“Doesn’t matter we’re gonna cut them down and win our school a trophy.” Ray stood up and stretched. “It’s our ride.”
The bus was empty, with only a few other passengers and a chaperone. It was an hour and half long drive before they reached the building where the competition would be held.
As they arrived, a large crowd was at the entrance and the place where the bus parked.
There were muffled yells and laughter coming from outside, probably aimed at them.
When the bus driver asked if they were going to leave the bus, Ray asked if he would be going anywhere.
“No? I’ll be sitting here until you guys finish your lil contest. You guys wanna stay here?”
“The contest doesn’t start for another hour anyways.” Ray slouched down his seat.
The driver agreed to let them stay, only on the condition that he holds no responsibility for whatever happens if they were late or anything. But ten minutes later the bus driver got a phone call and suddenly stood up and told them to immediately head inside the building.
“Whyyyy?” Emma groaned. “The crowd is still outside. It’s like we committed a crime or something.”
“I won’t stand for you kids already getting bullied before you guys even enter the building! Come on, let’s go!”
Having an adult with them really silenced everyone, especially when it’s an adult whose appearance can scar an entire crowd (he’s a nice man though). Ater thanking the driver for escorting them inside, the man tipped his hat at them and left.
The three have passed time peacefully, to their surprise. Even the high schooler who was jeering at them earlier was nowhere to be found in the meeting room. They were then told that the people who came early already had a head start in preparing for the competition.
/
The event has finally started and the emcee started making greetings to the crowd and introductions for himself, the judges, and the eventual contestants for the spelling bee.
The crowd roared, as if it was a sports event. Emma took a look at the TV in the waiting room, and shivered at the loud cheers.
“Wh-what is this, a concert?” Ray fake gagged as he adjusts his shirt collar.
“I’m sure they’ll calm down when the spelling bee actually starts.” Norman assured them.
“Norman, you’re the one that gets the most stage fright. You should be worried more for yourself.” Ray chortled.
A shiver went down Norman’s spine after a thought of himself freezing midway during the competition came on.
“R-Ray….” Norman laughed sheepishly.
“Ray! Leave Norman alone!”
“Says the one who teased Norman all morning about it! I said one joke and you start blowing up!” Ray scowled at her.
“So?” Emma stomped her foot hard on the ground.
“Hey, hey. Kids you guys are up in a few. Get ready.” A man in a white suit entered the room, waiting for them to get ready.
Ray nudged Norman’s arm gently.
“Hey, are you really nervous? I’ll speak for you if they ever call on you.”
“No, I’m good. Thank you so much though, Ray.” Norman said.
By order of age, they were the last to show up. The crowd was still pretty loud by the time they appeared on stage, so it didn’t make them feel alone.
“And lastly, we have our team of three from GMS! The youngest contestants this year! From left to right, these thirteen year olds are Ray, Emma, and Norman.” The emcee announced proudly. They took their seats and waited to be called.
A few lost on their first round, while the others gathered their points for their team easily.
The first few rounds weeded out many people. Before they knew it, the final round has come.
Ray was the chosen member to go against the final opponent, the disgustingly rude high schooler from before. Ray hadn’t seen the importance in remembering some rude guy’s name so he named him L in his mind.
L sent a taunting grin to Ray, whom he replied with a simple wave and bow, successfully pissing L off. But since it was going to be aired on national television, L couldn’t do much.
“Now then, Ray and L. Please spell ubiquitous.”
Ray took a glance at L, who looked puzzled for a moment but suddenly determined. Ray hit the buzzer before he got the chance.
“Ubiquitous. U-B-I-Q-U-I-T-O-U-S. Ubiquitous.”
“That is correct!” The head judge announced, who looked thoroughly impressed.
“The spelling bee is concluded! The winners are Ray, Emma, and Norman from GMS!”
“Better luck next time?” Ray threw a peace sign at the camera and glanced at L, who looked too appalled to say anything.
He rested his hands in his pant pocket as Norman and Emma ran up to him happily and practically put him in a headlock twice.
Emma couldn’t stand still whereas Norman couldn’t stop smiling. Ray felt like he didn’t belong for a moment. But that was only a split second, because just looking at the two looking so happy as they were receiving the prize money and gold trophy was enough to make his own mouth curve up.
/
“Hey, Norman. You weren’t hurt when we teased you about the stage fright thing right?” Ray asked Norman as they were on the bus heading back to the city.
“Oh? Are you suddenly worrying about me?” Norman teases.
“Okay, fine! If you don’t wanna tell me then that’s that!” Ray look away and faced the window, knocking his head onto the window twice.
Silence fell upon the bus before Norman cleared his throat and started, “Don’t worry about that. It sort of made me feel stronger on stage.”
“Are you— serious ?”
“Hey, but that doesn’t mean I like it.” Norman warned. “Just this one time okay? Make sure to tell Emma too.” Norman points to a sleeping Emma sitting next to him, her head tilted towards the left, and her arms hugging onto her backpack tightly as a pillow.
“How about you tell your crush that yourself.”
Norman’s face flushed red and he looked down immediately. He could practically hear Ray smirking at him.
“Well, I’m sure Emma won’t make much jokes like this anymore since it has no relevance anymore,” Ray assured him.
“You’re so lucky you get to tell Emma straight up what you feel…” Norman sulked.
Ray suddenly suggested, who remained unmoving from his resting position against the window.
“Then should I tell her that I like her?”
“WHAT?” Two loud yells entered Ray’s ear this time.
Ray turned around to see a flustered and embarrassed Norman, the trophy on resting on his hands was gone.
“I’m just kidding—wait oh my god Norman don’t glare at me like that, please don’t— ack ! Emma! When did you wake up—Oh STOP smacking me with the goddamn trophy!”
Emma pulled the two in for a hug, though he arms aren’t quite long enough to hold them fully.
“Do you guys like me? It’s a genuine question.” She whispered.
“You want us to spell it out for you?” Ray said.
The window on the bus was starting to fog up. Ray pointed at the window to get them to look up at the giant glass pane.
Y-E-S.