To say Zion had anticipated today would be to say the least. The excitement on his face in the morning during breakfast was impeccable. It was the day of his competition, and he appeared more than confident. He had worked hard to prepare himself physically and mentally for the day ahead. He had listened, learnt and perfected his knowledge just to bring the very best to today, and he deserved to be happy for it. The look on his face told them he was confident in himself and his team, and the other team should watch out for them.
Zera, along with Aaron, had cleared out all her schedule today because the most important person was Zion, and the rest would follow behind. They had received the invitation card to the competition venue last week, and it would be at the Bristol Academy, their opponent’s school. It didn’t matter if they were going to meet the competition or if the competition was coming to meet them; they were going to win.
At 12:30 p. m., the school bus came to a stop at the pack estate, and Zion, being already prepared, joined in with them to leave for school. The competition would kick off at exactly 3 p. m., but the competitors were to already be together and do a few brush-ups before the competition would begin.
Zion went with them, but Zera doubted he needed the brush-up. He was a math genius for his age. Aaron had also stepped up the game after seeing Zion’s excitement for the big day by hiring a tutor for him that would put him through and keep him ahead. Zion did well with that as well, and Mr Abbas, his math tutor, was impressed with him.
It was all in preparation for today, and there was certainty Zion’s team would take the victory.
Today wasn’t Zion’s competition alone; it was also the full moon, which left the whole day packed with excitement for so many reasons. Being the full moon means Ivan will unmark Lionel under today’s full moon.
It has been a long and sad month for Lionel, and knowing he will be getting free of the pain was something to be happy about.
His mind was still fixed on forgetting Sesi, even though that meant forgetting them all, but all they could hope for was a change of heart, because at the end of the day, Ivan would have to do whatever Lionel decided, no matter how dangerous.
She visited as often as she could just to let him know he wasn’t alone, and though he didn’t grow worse, he didn’t get better. Every time, he got further lost in his art. Though Zera offered that he come to live in the pack estate with them, he declined and said he was okay at his apartment. If he lived with them, perhaps he wouldn’t want to forget them.
“Ready?” Aaron asked, stepping towards her while knotting his tie.
She rose from before the dressing mirror in a blue dress, reaching below her knee and having a short sleeve. It was as modest as it could get. Her hair was in a neat bun, and the makeup was moderate.
Aaron entwined their hands as he came to stand beside her.
“Excited?” he asked with his brow raised after a while of them standing quietly. She didn’t know why he asked, but before she could ask why he asked, he added, “Your heartbeat.”
She chuckled and nodded her head. “So much will happen today, and I am excited; I can’t help it.”
He took her hand up and placed a kiss on the back of it. “It’s fine to be excited; I’ll be here until the end.” He said it with a smile.
They arrived at the Bristol Academy main hall and made their way to the front of the hall, where they knew Zion would find it easy to locate them among the crowd. This was one reason Aaron suggested they come thirty minutes early before official time. A few parents were also there; they had come to take up the seats at the front as a sign of support. The students were yet to come up even as they settled into the seat in the front, and Zera felt butterflies go round and round in her stomach.
The panel was right in front of the parents’ seats, and there were a dozen tables and chairs on the stage, meant for each child who would be participating because they had their names on them. Five of the chairs had yellow stripes on them, and the other had blue stripes, and it was obvious that five students would be from each team.
The hall soon got crowded as it welcomed all the parents and supporters of all the competitors coming to celebrate and cheer on their sons, brothers, and nephews. Luckily, they didn’t have to fight to be among the ones who wouldn’t get the best view for their sons, Zera thought.
The stage door soon opened, and the students walked out, each moving to their respective positions and taking a seat. At this point, the hall was already crowded with parents, and the students’ eyes searched for their parents and their present families.
Zion’s eyes didn’t wander long because he spotted them within a few seconds of searching.
He had a big smile on his face and waved at them, and Zera and Aaron waved back immediately.
Seeing Zion on stage made Zera realise how much he had grown, and she couldn’t be prouder to know he was hers. There was so much to be excited about for Zion, who was growing up with each passing day, and soon he would become a man of his own.
“Go get them,” Zera mumbled, and Zion must have heard her despite the distance because he nodded.
Zera’s eyes strayed from Zion, and they moved to find Quincy at the end of the arrangement. At the sight of him, the words he had told her the night of Zion’s birthday came rushing back. She never really understood what she heard. It could have all been in her head, and that was the best explanation. There was no other way Quincy could have gotten into her head or even known about Lionel. He looked like a good kid, normal even, and she was better than judging a child, thinking him up to no good, and messing with her.
The competition kicked off, and the host of the event came up holding the mic, introduced himself as Mr. Gerald Kidman, and then proceeded to introduce the judges on the panel. After he did that, he introduced the students and their various schools, and the competition commenced.
The competition kicked off with the blue team, Bristol Academy, taking the first question as a long division to solve in a very limited time. They got it, and despite the host of the competition admonishing the parents to minimise their celebrations and cheers, they couldn’t help it.
The second question was thrown to the red team, the Hendon Academy, Zion’s school, and they cleared it up.
The competition went slowly and then built up to harder questions, and a shorter amount of time was given each time. The students on the blue team had a total of fifty points, and the red team had fifty-two.
The whole hall erupted in happy cheers as the red team came out victorious. Aaron and Zera turned to each other with happy cheers on their faces.
The winners, who were Hendon Academy students, assembled on the stage and took a bow before being presented with their awards and prizes.
Zion, who had answered most of the questions asked during the competition, accepted the trophy on behalf of the other students present. After that, the students took pictures with the judges and with the trophy.
As that ended, the parents were allowed to come celebrate with their children, and each raced to theirs. Aaron and Zera hurried towards Zion, who still had one of the awards given to him, and Quincy beside him.
Aaron reached out and lifted Zion into his arms for a big hug, and Zera smiled and stroked his face, her smile blinding. Zion smiled back, and it soon turned into a grin.
“Mommy, look!” He shows her the award still in his hand, and she nods.
“Oh, I see that, and I’m so proud of you.” Her mind was filled with joy and happiness when she felt someone grab her hand tightly. She turned around and found Quincy looking at her with an expression she couldn’t read or tell, almost like the one he had had on Zion’s birthday.
He didn’t open his mouth, but she heard his voice in her head. “The Lionel, you know, doesn’t have much time; protect the new Lionel with all you have. He needs you, and you have to believe him, no matter what.” He told her, and she felt the same level of confusion she felt at Zion’s birthday, not finding clarity.