Chapter 21: The Debate Disaster
The classroom was already half full when Mia, Lilly, and Anshul entered.
Rows of wooden desks faced a whiteboard at the front of the room. Several students were chatting while waiting for the teacher to arrive.
The moment Anshul walked in, a few heads turned.
A tall foreign visitor was not something they usually saw during school hours.
"Who's that?" one student whispered.
"No idea," another replied.
Mia immediately lowered her head and hurried to her seat.
Lilly leaned closer and whispered teasingly, "You realize bringing a mysterious traveler to school is the most exciting thing that has happened here all week, right?"
"I didn't bring him!" Mia whispered back. "He just followed!"
Meanwhile, Anshul calmly stood near the back of the classroom. He didn't look nervous at all. Instead, he observed everything with quiet interest.
A few moments later, the teacher entered the room.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning," the students replied lazily.
The teacher placed several papers on the desk before looking around the room.
"Today we will continue the debate presentations."
Mia froze.
She had been hoping the teacher might forget.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen.
The teacher glanced down at the list.
"Mia Thermopolis."
Mia slowly stood up.
Her hands were already shaking slightly.
Lilly gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.
"You can do it," she whispered.
Mia walked toward the front of the classroom.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
Anshul watched quietly from the back.
He knew exactly how this scene played out in the movie.
And unfortunately for Mia, it didn't end well.
Mia reached the front of the classroom and turned toward her classmates.
Her face had already turned slightly pale.
"My topic today," she began nervously, "is why students should wear school uniforms."
A few students looked mildly interested.
Josh Bryant leaned back in his chair with an amused expression.
Mia took a deep breath.
"School uniforms help reduce social pressure and allow students to focus more on their education rather than appearance."
So far, everything was going fine.
But then Mia glanced at the audience.
Suddenly she noticed Anshul standing near the back of the classroom.
The tall traveler who had been talking to her all morning was now watching her presentation.
Her confidence instantly collapsed.
Her mind went blank.
Several seconds passed.
The classroom became silent.
"Um…" Mia said weakly.
Her hands started trembling.
Lilly immediately realized what was happening.
"Oh no," she whispered.
Mia's breathing became faster.
"I… I think…"
Then suddenly—
Mia panicked.
Without warning, she turned and rushed toward the trash can beside the teacher's desk.
A loud retching sound echoed through the room.
Several students gasped.
Josh burst into laughter.
"Oh my God!"
"Did she just—?"
Lilly covered her face.
The teacher looked completely shocked.
Meanwhile, Anshul sighed quietly.
Exactly like the movie.
After a few seconds, Mia slowly stood up again.
Her face was completely red with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry," she muttered.
The teacher cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Well… thank you for your presentation, Mia."
Several students were still whispering and laughing quietly.
Mia quickly returned to her seat and buried her face in her arms.
"This is the worst day of my life," she groaned.
Lilly patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"Hey, at least you didn't faint."
"That doesn't help!"
From the back of the classroom, Anshul watched everything calmly.
Despite the embarrassing moment, he didn't laugh.
Instead, he walked forward slowly.
The teacher looked confused as he approached.
"Excuse me," Anshul said politely.
"Yes?"
"I believe Mia's argument actually has some very strong points."
The classroom immediately went quiet.
Anshul turned toward the students.
"School uniforms reduce economic comparison between students," he said calmly. "When everyone wears the same clothing, it becomes harder for social differences to create division."
Several students looked surprised.
He continued.
"Uniforms can also help students focus more on learning rather than fashion competition."
Even the teacher seemed impressed.
"That's… actually a very good summary," she said.
Mia slowly lifted her head and stared at him.
Anshul glanced at her and smiled.
"Her idea was correct," he said. "She was just nervous."
The classroom remained quiet.
Josh rolled his eyes.
"Whatever."
The teacher nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, thank you for your input."
Anshul returned to the back of the classroom.
Mia was still staring at him in disbelief.
After class ended, students began leaving the room.
Mia approached him slowly.
"You didn't have to do that," she said quietly.
Anshul shrugged.
"I wanted to."
"But… everyone saw that disaster."
"Everyone also heard the argument."
Mia blinked.
For the first time that day, she smiled slightly.
"Thanks."
Anshul smiled back.
For him, this was only the beginning.
Because very soon—
Mia Thermopolis would discover she was the princess of Genovia.
And when that happened, the future of an entire kingdom might change.
Thanks to a traveler from another world.