Emma Chapter 2 Sitting at my vanity, my nerves are up to the top. Today it was the Spelling Bee. I try to remember all the tips I’ve learned in school, but find it hard, because of all the butterflies in my stomach. I picked out a nice dress, heels, grab my phone, and of course my heart necklace! I try to make myself as pretty as possible, but in my thoughts, I say, “I am too pretty too even improve!” Afterwards, my mom tells me I look beautiful, “Oh yes I am!” I say in my mind. I slide in the car and ride off with my family, my mom, dad, and Tom, my brother that is two years younger than me, he likes Nora, and always says she’s nice, but she’s just too different for me. When I got out of the car, I noticed Nora, “She’s probably not smart like me,” I think to myself, “there’s not a chance she will beat me.” I walk up to the stage and stand with the other kids. I notice some of them have nervous expressions on their faces, that’s when I notice Nora. She’s closing her eyes, bowing her head and… It looks like she’s mouthing words…? Confused, I decided she is too weird and different for me, way different! That’s why no one likes her. Why does my brother like her!? Thoughts swarm though my head, and then I realize someone is talking to me. “Emma?” says the Moderator, “Yes?” I say, I didn’t know that the spelling bee had started! I walk up to the microphone., “Spell, denomination,” “d-e-n-o-m-i-n-a-t-i-o-n, denomination,” I say. “Correct!” Everyone claps, “Whew!” I say with relief as I go sit down. “Next up is… Nora. spell, invincible.” Nora slowly and quietly says, “i-n-v-i-n-c-i-b-l-e invincible.” “Correct!” “Correct?!” I say in my disapproving mind, I know she’s right, but I want to win, I don’t want her to do better than me! I already am so embarrassed about how I wasn’t listening to the moderator. A big applause comes from the students, but I don’t clap a single one. Instead, I try to ignore it. Soon six of us were left, me, my good friend Suzy, a boy named Charlie, my brother Tom, and Nora. Just saying that girl’s name in my mind makes me wonder. I hear that Tom’s name has been called. He walks up to the stage, inhales a long deep breath, and the moderator tells him to spell the word dictionary. He struggles to spell it, “D-i-c…um…t-o-n-a-r-y?” ‘Sorry, that is incorrect.” A slight bit of sadness sinks in my heart, but it goes away fast, because my name has just been called. As I step up to the microphone, more butterflies are in my stomach than I ever had felt before. The moderator says to spell cooperative. I say firmly and without hesitating, “c-o-o-p-e-r-a-t-i-v-e, cooperative.” The moderator says “Correct!” This time the clapping is louder than ever, as I go to sit down, I see Nora clapping very hard, “Why is she clapping? Aren’t we kind of enemies? Now there were only two of us left. Me, and that redhaired girl Nora, my kind of enemy. I haven’t even got one wrong, neither has Nora. I keep saying in my mind that I am better, but sometimes it just doesn’t feel true. Ten minutes passed by, and we are still both in. Another passes, and we are both in. Now it was round 2. Sometimes it feels like they will never get someone out. It’s Nora’s turn, she walks up to the stage not with heels, but flats, calmly and silent, she waits for the moderator to say the word she must spell. The moderator says, “Spell the word geography.” “Firmament! What does that even mean?! There’s no way she’s going to get this one!” I say in my thoughts. A slight smile of happiness (Because she might lose) spreads across my face, and that’s when she spells the word. “F-i-r-m-a-m-e-n-t, Firmament. “Says Nora. My smile turns to a frown, as I clap very slowly. She goes back to her seat and does that weird thing again. This time I try to concentrate, and not think about it. Soon, all three rounds were over. But who won?
