child genius at a competition, turns out they draw with someone of never-before-seen skills-they look the exact same
30MIN
"Rochester!" The name blared, ricocheting off the boundaries of the testing hall. The aforementioned girl winced, glasses slipping down her nose as she shot up awkwardly. Her gaunt figure stood out flagrantly from the sea of students.
Any person could see the lack of temerity in her face. The faint plod-plod of footsteps filled the thick silence. Sheer terror was plastered on her face; several of the parents mumbled their condolences at the unpromising contestant.
However, the audience of the national maths competition were absolutely unprepared at what was to come. The first question answered was dismissed as a 'lucky guess'. No wonder. Lily Rochester's face only exacerbated in its spotty trepidation the more questions were answered. With every squeal of the microphone, rustle of the adjudication papers and gasp from the audience, the throng of eager contestants began to delineate and yet Miss Rochester stubbornly remained a survivor. A few other caustic contenstants' faces burned in ignominy. Perhaps the fumbling, shaken girl was beyond what was on the surface.
As the numbers of competitors dwindled drastically, the audience began to pick obvious favourites. One auspicious contestant was the charming Lana. Doting supporters sighed as she fluttered upstage, locks swaying over her shoulders. A wave of 'awws' would emanate from the crowd as she beamed at the audience after chirping another correct answer. Yes, Lana Rochester was indeed a promising young lady.
The gaggle of girls and boys further declined, groans and cheers emitting from enthusiastic supporters the more questions were answered. Even the judges were becoming more and more invested-leaning forwards in their seats as these mere children answered the hardest of questions. Even parents blurted out words of support or disbelief in their shock. Tension was rising.
And at last, Lana Rochester was ensconced on the finalist chair. Even with the tense atmosphere her eyes twinkled from miles away, a sweet simper gracing her face.
"I love you Lana!" A voice called out from afar. Cheeks blooming, Lana's girlish giggle bounced off the walls.
An incredulous Lily was perched on the other chair, gawking at the other competitor much like how a mouse stares at a lion. She quickly averted her eyes as soon as Lana's gaze met hers.
The audience stared at the two apt girls. There was quite a familiarity between them-even if there was a great disparity in the way they acted. However, they had also been the only ones able to manage questions that stumped even the judges. No other person on the Earth had reached their capability.
"The answer is-"
"I think it would be-"
The judges huddled together, murmuring. A female adjudicator coughed, attempting to smother her disbelief. "This is the first draw ever. Congratulations!"
A stunned silence pierced the air, parents and children alike exchanging wide-eyed glances.
"Thank you." The girls chorused accidentally. And at that moment they turned to each other, really studying their co-winner. The same tone of voice. The same intelligence. The same bush of auburn hair.
The coincidental last names.
Perhaps they were more alike than anyone had thought.
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