Save meeeee

I was having my usual nightly chat with KarBear when a snippet of our conversation reminded me of one time of desperation back in form 5.

It was the Forensics held at ISKL, and I was competing in the Original Oratory category. It was the first day and after two rounds of preliminaries, the competitors and their supporters were milling around in the canteen (Connie's Corner, I still remember) waiting for the list of finalists to be released.

After the first two rounds were done for the day, I was beyond relieved. I didn't have to worry about the utter lameness and high word count of my speech, and could fully utilise energy to cuci mata.

Now, before this time, I had gone to kepoh at the debates; specifically the ones which involved our teams (yay Kar and Laura!) and the Host teams. The Host teams were the hot favourites to win, since they were defending champions from the year before, so naturally a lot of the other schools were watching them as well. The room was quite packed, if I remember correctly.

I had heard some gossip about this guy from a certain missionary school, let's call him Joe. Now Joe APPARENTLY had a crush on our very own KarBear. KarBear didn't like him. much. okay, at all. I think la. I dunno now. :D

Anyway! not important! The point is. Joe. is. a.

NERD

I'm not dissing nerds la, I am one after all, but. Joe..oh, Joe was in a league of his own.

Plus, he was annoying. You can ask his schoolmates.

So back! We're in Connie's corner. It's already around late afternoon, and I'm sitting at one of the wooden tables talking with Lavi, I think. This REALLY REALLY CUTE guy is introduced to us, and he sits down with us to eat his RM5 Korean Instant Noodle. (OMG, of all details to remember; why didn't I remember his name) He's cute, friendly, smart, funny. I'm smitten.

Then Joe joins us. Joe is his schoolmate, and at this time all I know about Joe is

1. He's sweet on KarBear
2. His schoolmates don't exactly love him.
3. He's a pretty formidable speaker
4. He has a reputation for being a nerd

And Joe starts to talk.

and babble

and crack lame jokes

and I start to die bit by bit. He was talking rubbish and he wasn't pleasant AT ALL. He was bringing up weird random subjects that I absolutely did not understand. I cannot explain the anguish I was going through. I wanted desperately to leave (I just found out CuteNoodleGuy was in Form 3), yet it would be terribly rude and blatant to just up and leave. I couldn't even make up any excuse because the incessant talking kept derailing my train of thought. It was now that I began to understand why the boys were bitching about him.

Let me put it this way. After one more paticularly excruciating lame joke, Lavi made her escape. Mild mannered Lavi. Lavi who has never gotten angry at anyone except her small sister. Lavi who has never raised her voice at anybody in school. Lavi who couldn't take Joe's verbal war anymore. ABANDONED ME! I don't know how she did it. I was still quite reluctant to leave at first because of CuteNoodleGuy who albeit being younger, was incredibly witty, but was busy eating, so less talking.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I scanned the canteen for an escape. KarBear and her gang, which included the boys from The Missionary School caught my eye. They're talking and laughing. ESCAPE HATCH!

I shouted mental pleas to her

look over here look over here save me look here look here

She makes eye contact with me. I raise my hand to my mouth and turn slightly sideways, and with my hand blocking the side of my mouth and a slighly maniacal desperate look,

*save me*

The little smartass laughs. Yeah yeah laugh at my misery. I see some of the boys looking over and they start snickering.

But then she's my favourite bear for a reason.

"Yuen, come over here!"

I make my excuse, and hightail it over to their section.

One of the guys: "Been talking to Joe, eh"
whole group: SNICKER