The quiz competition was just a few minutes from starting, and I was already drowning in doubt.
I stared at the crowd, the judges, the rival schools with their polished uniforms and confident smiles. My head was pounding. My notes were a blur. My hands were shaking.
"I can't do this," I muttered under my breath, trying to hide the panic rising in my chest. "I'm not smart enough. I'm just… pretending."
Tope turned to look at me, calm and steady like she always was. She didn't speak for a moment — just studied my face.
Then she leaned in and said, "The magic is in you."
I blinked. "What?"
She smiled gently. "You don't need to be the smartest in the room. You just need to believe in yourself — the same way I believe in you."
I shook my head. "I'm scared."
"And that's okay," she replied. "But think about it — all this time, you've been trying, changing, learning. Not for anyone else, but for you. That takes real strength. That's the magic."
I looked into her eyes, searching for doubt — but all I saw was belief. In me.
"You've always had it," she said. "You just need to let it show."
And just like that, something shifted inside me. The noise in my head quieted. I took a deep breath. Her words wrapped around me like armor.
The magic is in you.
When the moderator called our names to step forward, I stood tall. I didn't feel like the boy who used to lash out or hide behind anger.
I felt ready.
And as the questions began — rapid-fire, tricky, meant to trip us — Tope and I moved like a team. I answered with confidence. She picked up where I left off. We supported each other, trusted each other.
By the time the final score flashed on the screen — with our school at the top — the whole hall erupted.
But none of that compared to what Tope whispered in my ear as the cheers filled the room:
"Told you — the magic was in you all along."