The Contest

In the school, Alhambra High, a pie-eating contest was being held at the play-yard between two big buildings, an area shaded and green with grass, where student activities were often held.

The contestants names were Darryl Simpkins, Jones Lorenzo Danza, and Felicity Ramona Wright.

Darryl Simpkins liked the beach and being outdoors and running in the sand, playing horshoes, and the color pink.

It dawned on Jones Lorenzo Danza that no one should care because he was disqualified for throwing a paper napkin in the girl's locker room. The problem had been that his hand was still attached to the napkin when he threw it inside, while the girls were changing.

Jones Lorenzo Danza was an eleventh-grader, dedicated to multiple studies like science, math and english and he was a serious reader of fantasy, theories and science fiction but he did not read the bible because he didn't believe in reading theoritical fiction. He liked the color green and ate often at McGuffees, a popular Restaurant that served hamburgers. He hated to dance and the color off-white with a touch of purple. He was the recipient of an award for having almost destroyed the reputation of a respectable place near fifth and Maine with nothing more than popular petitions protesting the so-hated Pepperoni-with-eggplant and blue-cheese pizza (The well-known Pegg Bee).

In contrast, Felicity Ramona Wright, was a dancer and she danced the salsa, el merengon, la danza, la volteada, el danzon, cumbia, rumba, punta, trampa and any other such things aptly named for what they did even the zig-zag, hokey-pokey and the triple-toe. She hated reading science fiction, fantasy or theories. She loved the color off-white with a touch of purple and hated the color green and she often drove around McGuffees (to avoid it) in order to get to her favorite pizza place, La Dorada on fifth and Maine. She loved to order a variety of pizzas including her absolute favorite, the pepperoni with eggplant and blue cheese, her precious Pegg Bee. She almost lived her life by the teachings of the bible (except that one about being friendly to one's neighbors).

They were in the same classes together and sat on opposite sides.

They never dared to turn to look at the other but always competed. If Jones had an "A" in chemistry, she made sure she failed it. If Felicity had an "A" in any of Jone's classes, he made sure he found someway to trick the teacher into giving her an "F" for he was a college-bound straight A student. The trend was duly noted in the school and, due to some error in paperwork (by various teachers who agreed it wasn't really fair), Felicities grade stabilized to all C's. It wasn't really fair in Felicities eyes for she wanted to be nowhere near any of Jone's grades.

"Miss Never Right," he had said to her last time they had met face-to-face at last years pie-eating contest.

"Mister Don't-Dance Danza," she had responded, with a smile, knowing she, at least, was smarter than him in one respect.

It never occurred to them that they were in the same contest. It never occurred to them that they were both slightly too-skinny to be winners of pie-eating contests and that they were both, in a matter of terms relating to one sex and the next, quite attractive. These facts superceded the hate they had for each other, for the hate they had for each other was the only thing they believed they had in common.

Blinded by rage, both of them took to stuffing their face with distinct colors of pies. Since Jones only ate blueberry pies and Felicity only ate cherry pies, the teachers decided to switch the tables, them being the only ones in the contest that year.

In front of Felicity lay at least six blueberry pies which she eyed with the utter most disgust.

In front of Jones lay at least seven cherry pies which he eyed, too but with a slight tinge of hatred, not disgust.

The teacher in charge of the event, Mrs. Hendrix, said to them both, "Begin!"

But neither moved to put a napkin on themselves or to eat the pies. They stared at her and at the pies and at each other and at a large crowd almost cheering spectators who were waiting patiently for it to begin but otherwise they did not eat. "What's this?" Felicity asked with genuine interest.

"It's a blueberry pie, dear," Mrs. Hendrix explained.

"They make those now?"

Mrs. Hendrix blinked quite in disbelief that Felicity Ramona Wright had never heard of blueberry pies when her opponent had been gulfing them down with her in the same contest for the past two years now.

Mighty curious of the pies layed before him as well, Jones asked, "And what are these?"

"Honestly, Mr. Jones, surely you know about cherry pies," Mrs. Hendrix complained, untriumphantly.

Jones shrugged, giving his opponent a nasty look.

Then, something almost like a miracle happened and it was neither ones idea that it had occurred but Felicity turned to look at him and he turned to look at her and, without having to show the emotion in their faces, without a tear, without a shake of their heads or a frown or a smile but with as much confusion as the other could muster, they asked each other at the same time, "You've been eating these pies all along?"

Neither answered each others question. Instead, they shocked their audience completely by laughing at each other. They laughed so hard, they almost forgot about the contest.

Mrs. Hendrix, whose plan it was all along to have these two opposites attract, in a final and momentous show of triumph raised her hands to the sky and whispered, "Oh, thank you."

Felicity from then on considered getting an A in a class and she was finally able to thanks to a competetive dance class she joined.

Jones considered tasting something other than hamburgers and was more than welcome to do so when the cafeteria decided to start serving specialty dishes.

Felicity and Jones became somewhat of too-close acquaintacences because they had disliked each other so much that when they had started liking each other, that same amount of passion used for hate, was doubly-so used for love.

Who won the contest? Don't be stupid, who do you think won? It is high school, after all.