The round is officially over. All paintings have been examined, which means the committee has to deliberate; however, given the comments they made, picking one winner is set to be a hard task for them. Not that waiting for the results is an easy walk in the park either...

Suddenly, Briony and other two ladies from the Circle approach me. "Kaesyn, here you are!" The former exclaims. "No matter how you place in the competition, you've done a great job regardless."

I smile faintly at her. "Thank you, I guess. Do you think the committee will take long?"

She chuckles. "Trust me. They have a lot to discuss. Why don't you go and take something from the buffet? There are so many delicacies from all over the state." A buffet? Why hasn't she told me earlier? If that's the case, then I must go there with Jen.

The latter embraces the idea in a rather enthusiastic manner. "I hope there's better street food than last year. I remember only eating tacos from the trucks; the rest wasn't good." Even though Jennifer complains, I smile. I'm certain the administration has raised the bar for this year's event.

"I hope there's candyfloss, too. You know how much I love it!" I exclaim.

"Yes, you do, more than even guys." Haha. Touché. When it comes to love life and dating, Jennifer is quite stinging. She insists that someone like me can't be alone and that boys should line up to score a date with me. I don't know if I'm ready to have a boyfriend, honestly. There's too much going in my head for me to focus on a stable relationship.

The wait is over. The judges gather at the center of the area, calling for everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentleman, deliberation is over. We reunited for the verdict and, to be honest, we didn't expect such a high level this year," says one of them.

The second judge adds, "While we can't just name all of you the winners of this contest, it's been hard for us to pick only one." She clears her throat to earn attention from the audience as she hears some buzzing. "Therefore, we made an unprecedented decision, one you all wouldn't expect us to make."

The first judge reprises talking. "We've decided to assign a joint win to two contestant: Kaesyn Seeley and Preston Weddle! May they join us at the center so that they can receive their prizes and medals." I do as told and reach the jury at a spot of the part where a little podium has been set up.

Meanwhile, Preston is so confused that he's under the impression there's a mistake. An encouragement round of cheers erupts; I join the audience as I chant for him to reach the center of the stage. It works: Preston stands between the third judge and me, but still keeps his distance from me. He must be really shy.

"Congratulations to both." As the female judge hands us the medals, the other two disappear for a moment before returning with two sealed bags, one for each of us winners. I bow out of gratitude; then, I shake hands with the three judges, with Preston following suit. He takes three deep breaths before regaining his composure.

Last, but not least, he and I receive two trophies, one each. They're different because nobody expected a joint win. This year's painting context has definitely rewritten the history of Middletown's fair. I don't think it'll ever happen again in the foreseeable future.

Preston closes the distance between him and me, extending his trophy to me. "I think you're the legitimate winner," he says. "You did better than me."

I'm surprised and confused. "What do you mean?"

"What I've just said."

"You did great, though. You deserved to win. Don't put yourself down." I truly mean it. Why should I defy the judges' verdict because he's insecure about his victory? I won't blame him for that, though.

"You know what? You're right. I earned the trophy and prize fair and square like you." After this realization, Preston goes back to praising my work. "Your painting is amazing. Seriously. You have talent."

"You too. Keep cultivating this craft, I see potential in you and I'm sure the judges did, as well." For the first time since the contest started, I see a smile on Preston's face. Is he starting to build up his confidence? Well, true progress takes time, but he's on the right track.

Our little moment is interrupted by people running off to a white gazebo east of here. I hear a lady shout, "Hey, the raffle is about to start! Are you ready to claim lovely prizes and pay this amazing community back? Follow me-and the directions, of course!"

There's indeed a wooden sign with "Charity Raffle" written by hand, I guess, in a whimsical cursive font. The sign points east, which is the direction I mentioned before to reach the location of the raffle. To avoid being caught in the middle of the crowd, Preston and I walk by the sidelines.

As soon as we make our way to the gazebo, I feel a pair of hand on my shoulders. "Boo!" I turn to find Jennifer with the widest grin she's ever flashed. She must've received excellent news or won a magnificent prize at a game.

She chuckles. "So, you and Preston both won the painting contest. What's next, a slow dance together?" Oh, God, she's so mischievous! Always trying to tease me whenever I'm next to a boy. Today is no exception-by the way, it's not like Preston is into dating, or at least based on my assumption.

"Slow down, Jen! We just happened to have the best works in the competition!" I exclaim. After a moment, I point at the mob moving towards the gazebo. "Look at them! They're running as if their life depended on it. Weird, isn't it?"

"Absolutely. Like, come on, it's a fair, we're not preparing for a zombie invasion. I mean-"

Preston corrects her as he cuts her off. "Technically, the charity raffle is way more of a big deal than you think. This year moreso. You'll be amazed at the prizes, trust me."

"Is there a chance you took a look beforehand?" I don't know why Jen has come up with this question. Knowing early what's in the mystery bags defies the purpose of the raffle itself.

Preston's answer is obvious. "No. Why would I?"

"Well, you're quite influential in town." Jennifer turns to me for validation. "Right, Kaesyn?"

I retort. "Jennifer, I know that. He's the Mayor's son." No, I can't just reduce him to just his family. He's more than that. So, I add, "And an incredible painter."

"Thanks, I guess?" Preston blushes, visibly embarrassed. I'm sure he wishes he could dig a deep hole and hide in there until the fair is over. Maybe he isn't ready to deal with Jennifer just yet.

"Let's go." I conclude. "We've all got our tickets, right?" As both Jennifer and Preston nod, I check my own raffle ticket to make sure it hasn't creased or folded. Wow. Perfectly intact. Keeping it in a transparent plastic bag has been a good move on my part.

"Off we go!" This time, it's me who's riding the wave of enthusiasm a little too much-the others have a hard time catching up with me as I increase my pace. I have to slow down. Tickets are numbered. It's not like I lose my chance at winning prizes.

By the way, what matters is that enough money is raised for the Social Circle's quilt. That's it.