The Speech Writer Pt. 3

Pearl had lied. She had lied to herself for over 5 years. Or maybe she hadn't, graduation was a long time ago, she could be grabbing at air. When Pearl had recieved her job request on graduation day, not everybody was happy for her. Though, again, she coudn't be sure. After all it was five years. Pearl thought she was wrong, she wanted to be wrong, but the signs were all there.

Pearl was behind the graduation stage, adjusting Marshian sash. Pearl had once heard tales about graduation services held on earth. They wore big bulky gowns that had always made Pearl think of wearing a pillow case with neck and armholes cut into them. On Mars Pearl wore a silky long dress that made her think of clouds and blankets. Sure, It was impractical but this one time Pearl allowed herself the luxury of feeling like a princess, of feeling like a queen. She did not let herself, however, feel like a bride. The dress was white and reminded her of the pictures in her childhood home on her mother's bedside table. It was of her mom wearing a wedding dress, almost identical to this one. The only difference was that Pearl was wearing a marshian sash and her mother was wearing-

"Pearl!" The guard was yelling but about what Pearl didn't know.

"I don't belive there is a need to yell" Pearl whispered. Then she realized she was speaking to a guard and quickly added "sir."

"It's just your turn, miss" he explained, thankfully, quitely.

"Oh yes, right then." Pearl cleared her throat, suddenly nervous. She straightened her tiara and looked at the guard. "Do I look OK?" Pearl hurridly asked, seconds before she had to go out onto the stage.

"You look fine." The guard smiled, but only for an instant. "Now go" he stated sternly. Then she's beyond the curtains and-oh her parents were right there clapping and smiling. Both of them were sitting side by side. Pearl didn't let herself dwell on that too long.

She wouldn't have thought of it for much longer anyways because a new anxiety crowded in. She needed an apprenticeship assighnment. Her parent's could not afford one for her, and jobs without one paid very little. All through her life she had tried her hardest, but the acedemic rankings were never revealed until graduation. Pearl hoped beyond hope that her job would be optimal, something that could get her into the higher class. There was a small part of her that even hoped that maybe her job would help her climb the social circles so that she could live in Frillisia, the capitol of Mars. Pearl knew it was wishful thinking. 

"Hello there Pearl!" Exclaimed the announcer far to loudly.

"Um...hi?" Pearl's palms were getting sweaty. She could feel one of her infamous headaches coming on. Not here, not now...please anytime but now! She pleaded with the headache, but it was still pounding.

"How would you say your expiriance in SM-1 Acadamy is going to influece you at your job?"

Pearl laughed, a short fit of giggles "Well that depends Mr."

The Announcer's eyes go wide in an animated expression of surprise. "And why might that be Miss Pedra?"

Her head was pounding with spikes of white, hot pain. She couldn't focus. "The sharks." The sharks? Why would she say that? Her mind and her mouth weren't lining up right. The synapses in her brain fired but the muscles in her mouth didn't respond. "The sharks swim, swish swish." She sounded like an idiot, a toddler just learning how to form sentances.

"Pearl, let me tell you you don't have to worry about the sharks in the aquarim escaping and eating you." The announcer stated, clearly annoyed.

"Sure, but who's to say the sharks aren't a metaphor? A metaphor of what might happen if i don't get a job. It's a real possibility." There. That is what Pearl had wanted to say. Her severed nerves were reforming, her mind slowly gaining control of her mouth. Her headache was fading and she could concentrate.

"Yes, well according to sources you don't have to worry about it."

"I don't?" The words came out in a rush. She wasn't losing controll again, no, these words were the exhale of reief after an inhail of terror.

"Yes." The announcer smiled "Are we ready to see your ranking?"

Pearl nodded, too scared to speak, too hopeful to move.

"Miss Pearl Precioca Pedra, considering all of your acedemics throughout your life and considering the work you did outside of school, you acedemic ranking is....." The announcer paused for effect as she held her breath and hoped beyond hope... "Second! Congradulations. Even though you had a second place award, the queen has pesonally made an exception because of your exceptional writing skills."

"I'm not quite..." Pearl starts but trailed off. She understood perfectly, she just couldn't believe it.

"Yes, Pearl, you are going to become the queen's new speech writer!"

The crowd clapped, Pearl bowed, everyone was happy. Everyone but the 1st place mark. He slinked off after he recieveed a role not quite important as Pearl's. As Pearl and her BFF met outside after the ceremony to take a few photos, he stood in a corner, covered in shadows, Looking straight at her. Even as her Best friend dropped her smile and said that she had to go home to do something, he kicked at the ground in anger. 

Before, when Pearl had been talking about sharks, she might have been onto something. Pearl had originally thought that everyone was happy for her. She was wrong, everyone except for the shark cared for her. Everyone except for Manyo Nalo Nahu. The shark who today was out there somewhere, still alive, and waiting for the perfect time to bite.