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Royal and I were what one would call frenemies. We were both the smartest, intelligent, and driven students in our class when it came to academics. The others just followed behind. Every teacher in school knew and acknowledged us for our smart driven minds. We were often choosen by the school to go for competitions, debates and the likes. We were the top in our class,often competing amongst each other for the first position. However, beneath all that, Royal and I were like fire and ice. 

While she had an outgoing, cheerful personality. A great extrovert as a matter of fact. I on the other hand was more of an introvert. A bit reserved and somehow quiet. I had very few friends; hated moving with the crowd.  She had many friends, she loved the crowd and reveled in it. We were two worlds apart, different in many ways both bound together with a similar characteristic,our intelligent minds. 

While we never really hated each other, we didn't like each other either. Our relationship was a complicated one, one the whole class knew about. We weren't exactly friends, but we weren't enemies either. We talked to each when it was necessarily but that was it. I think in retrospect, we actually disliked one another. 

It all began one faithful Monday morning. We were having our normal classes as usual, and the teacher, lecturing us for the day asked a difficult question no one could answer. Fortunately for me, I knew the answer to the question and answered it. This resulted in me receiving praises to no end from the teacher. With time, my intelligence and fame around the school surpassed Royal’s own. Even parents I didn't know, knew me due to my reputation as the most brilliant student in school. 
I received praises and favours from both teachers, parents and some of my fellow students who aspired to be as smart as me.

 While all these went down, I never knew some ounce of jealousy was breeding in the hearts of many, especially my classmates. Soon I began to hear various snide comments and ill rumours about me. Some of my classmates began showing me some nasty attitudes. As I traced the source of all these hatred and rumours I discovered that Royal was the one behind them.

One of those rumours reached my ears one day and got me so angry. I confronted her about it. She couldn’t even deny my allegations about it.

“Isn't it true? Your a hypocrite" she said out of spite

“ You're just jealous, you can't stand it that I’m succeeding where you feel you should be" I said in a calm and direct manner.

She avoided my gaze, knowing I was right. I could read the hurt, anger and jealousy in her eyes. It was far too obvious.

“Don't fool yourself, I can never be jealous of you.”

" Look around, everybody hates you not me" she said cockily.

I let out a breath out of frustration.I knew her actions were all out of jealousy, still it pained me. As the following weeks passed by I went about with my normal lifestyle. An inter-school competition was coming up  and I spent all my energy preparing for it, instead of paying attention to the false rumours going about. ⁷To the eyes of the school and our teachers, we were two smart girls at the top of the class. However, our classmates knew the tension and drama unfolding between the both of us.

She continued instigating false rumours against me to whoever cared to listen and I minded my own business, refusing to give her my attention which only angered her the more. Soon the inter- school competition day came. The whole students and teacher gathered in one large halls. The proprietress was present as one of the judges and a few other external candidates graced the competition. It began with a little spelling competition from the various classes. Soon, things became heated and the competition transitioned from easy to tough. We switched to maths competition and little by little, the number of students participating dropped as they failed gradually.

Finally, it was a tie. I and royal stood before the large hall, with the Judges seated before us. This was the last question which would determine the winner. Who ever answered it first wins. The atmosphere was intense. I looked to my right to see royal staring at me. She quickly looked away as she noticed I caught her staring. Our proprietress, Mrs Bassey asked the last question I knew all too well. I smiled to myself as she kept on speaking. When she was done I waited for like 5 seconds before answering it. The whole crowd cheered and applauded as I was stated the winner of the competition. 

With time, some of my classmate got to know that the rumours were false. As they watched and observed me silently,they noticed those things said about me were all untrue. Royal, on the other hand, realized her mistakes and couldn't face me in the eyes again. She tried apologizing, when she noticed that people had deserted her for spreading false rumors against me, but it was already too late for that.

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