I left the assembly hall, weaving my way through the crowd. It was only 4:30 in the evening, and there was still some time before school officially closed. I decided to head to the library- my quiet little sanctuary on campus.
Over the past three weeks, I had buried myself in novels of all kinds of genre: mystery-thriller, romance-comedies, and action-adventures. It was easier than thinking too much about anything else.
Today, I planned to read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie but no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting back to the candidate speeches from earlier.
Emilia had been impressive as expected, but I couldn't help wondering who might actually win. A part of me wished I could go back to my former self- the one I was before that summer of middle school. Maybe then, I might have had run in the election too.
These thoughts swirled through my head making my stomach tighten slightly, so I forced myself to look at the page infront of me, pretending focusing on the story.
About half an hour later, Emilia slipped into the library quietly, her eyes bright with excitement. She had just returned from the Student Council's meeting for Freshman Council candidates after speeches and could hardly wait to share what she had learned.
In a low voice, she told me how the Student Council had laid out the rules for the week-long campaingn. Every candidate was supposed to run a fair campaign, free from arguments or conflicts among the candidates leading up to the voting day on Monday, September 11th.
With growing enthusiasm, Emilia went on about her plans- the banners she wanted to display, and the slogans she wanted to repeat over the week. I listened silently, without aniy intrest. She had already walked me through me everything she intended to do the night she came over.
After spending some more time in the library, we eventually headed home together.
The next morning, the freshman corridor was buzzed with life. The week-long election campaign had officially begun.
During short breaks, at lunch, and even in club activities time, everywhere I looked, candidates are roaming the hallways with their banners in hand, calling out to vote for them.
For the rest of the week, the freshman spaces- the corridor, classroom entrances, and even the stairwells- had transformed into a battlefield of slogans and posters. Candidates hustle through the crowds, handing out flyers and reminding everyone to vote for them.
The week flewed by in a whirlwind of campaign activitiies accross the freshman grade, and before long, Monday, September 11th- the day of the Freshman Council election- finally arrived.