Matthew felt a bit sidelined and was about to say something when he noticed Meg returning from her speech. He straightened up quickly and said, "Hey, you''re up next. Go get ''em!"


    Mirabe waved it off, signaling she was ready. When her name echoed through the speakers, she confidently walked forward, pushed aside the curtain, and stepped onto the stage.


    Tall and slender with a cool demeanor, shemanded attention.


    Since transferring to Parkside High Schoolst year, Mirabe had been a topic of much debate. Her quick rise to the top of her ss had been witnessed by


    everyone.


    Now, standing at the podium without any preamble, she held the room in a breathless silence. All eyes were on her.


    She had that unmistakable aura of a leader.


    Mirabe lifted her head slightly, her eyes sparkling like stars, and smiled at her ssmates. “You know, the previous speakers did a great job, so I just have one question for you all."


    The room stayed silent, the kind of silence where you could hear a pin drop.


    Mirabe scanned the crowd, still smiling, paused for a second, and then asked, "What are your dreams? Or maybe we can talk about why we''re here today, with only twenty-three days left before finals. Why did we gather on such a special day?"


    The room was quiet for a moment, then someone shouted about dreaming of getting into a top university. That broke the ice, and soon the hall was buzzing with lively discussions.


    At eighteen, they were full of dreams and passion. What they needed wasn''t a lecture about the future but a chance to ground themselves in the present.


    Maybe motivational speeches could inspire them in the moment, but what happens when that inspiration fades?


    Things might just go back to the way they were.


    The hall filled with chatter about their futures, and some were reminded by Mirabe''s mention of the twenty-three days left, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety.


    Backstage, Meg watched the ''chaos'' and shook her head, letting the curtain drop from her hand. She didn''t want to watch anymore.


    She couldn''t understand why Mr. Hammond had picked someone so seemingly pretentious to represent the students. What should have been an inspiring speech had turned into a noisy mess.


    It ruined the good rhythm she had set.


    Feeling uneasy, Meg told Taylor and Matthew she needed to use the restroom and left the auditorium, missing the climax of the event.


    When she returned, the speech was nearly over, but she could hear the unified chants of "Queen Mira" echoing through the hall.


    It felt like the roar of fans at a concert.


    Meg paused, looking questioningly at Taylor just as he turned to her, "You really should have waited a bit longer to go to the restroom. You missed an amazing motivational speech."


    Taylor''s handsome face showed clear regret.


    Meg frowned even more.


    At that moment, Mirabe returned.


    The assembly was almost over, and she came to say goodbye to Matthew and


    the others before heading back to ss.