Hmm.. I don't know what title to put either >.<

Six more days. Six. Six more days, and the nerves are beginning to show. During training, we become stressed out like bears with sore heads. When one of us fails to perform well, it gets our backs up, and conflict arises faster than you can say "touche". We blame each other for the mistakes that we make, and we end up achieving nothing.

Now, what happens when mistakes are made? In a company, it is obvious. The person gets fired. However, the FAC is not a company. Rather, it is more like a partnership between four people. In fact, it is a partnership that is prestigious and in a way, elite, since entrance into the partnership is very difficult to come by. Once accepted into the partnership, every single member is expected to do everything he can to improve his skills and ultimately, win the championship trophy. But what happens when one member decides not to put in effort? The question can be answered even by a person who was born yesterday : The other members will get mad.

This was exactly what has been happening. The original Fate has been deemed as not putting in 100% into training, and that has caused the rest of us to become agitated. Of course, Fate has his reasons. Fate says that he intentionally been acting slack in order to remain calm during the competiton. According to him, if we were to be too committed during training, we would become stressed during the competition and making mistakes. However, the rest of us still became mad, since the competition is only six days away. It is drawing ever slowly nearer to us.

Perhaps we should be more understanding with Fate. After all, we are friends outside the competition as well. Way before the team was formed, the three "Fate"s would hold conversations together as "The Three Stooges", and we would trash talk away late into the night. We would make the conversation resemble a real television talkshow, with phrases like, "Wow!!!! Viewers out there, are you listening to this???" and "Thank you for tuning in to another episode of 'The Three Stooges', and see you tomorrow!!!" The three of us (especially me) would crack jokes that were so lame they would make the most serious person cringe. An example is like this:
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Fate: Who has the room key?
Me: I have the KEYboard.
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Fate: I finished my homework liao. Whoopie!!!
Me: Whoopie cushion.
Icyfate: ................
Fate: >.<
Me: Whoopie Goldberg.
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We even coined new phrases among ourselves. I used a signing off word : Cheers! I used to end all of my conversations with that single word. Icyfate would always begin his conversations by saying, "yo", whereby I would always answer , "Yoyo" , "Yoda" , "Yoga", "Yodel", "Yonder" and you get what I mean. I coined the phrase "^__^O (Sweat drop)" and "*Falls over anime-style", whenever something unexpected happens.

Those were the times. The good times.

Now, the three of us are in the FAC, and we form three out of the five members. We had a lot of fun together as friends and fellow team-mates, and I'm sure we will continue to do so. In fact, that is one reason why I do not wish to lose. It is scary when I look at it. On one hand, if we win, we go on to the Nationals. Maybe win it and move on to the Singapore-Malaysia competition. Maybe win it and move on to the Singapore-Australia competition. On the other hand, we lose it and we're finished. The team breaks apart, and from the on, we'll have nothing more to do with each other. I do not want to lose because I have enjoyed the time that I have spent with the team, and I never want it to end.

While writing this entry, I read a blog in which the writer has just lost a big match to a rival school. As I read her blog, I can visualise myself in that situation. Of course, I'll probably react differently on the outside, but it will be the same on the inside. The sad thing is that the team that works well together may not win. Our team has gone through a lot together, but that does not mean that we will win -- nothing can assure us of victory.

As I think about what will happen when we win, I can picture myself raising my arms in victory, turning to Icyfate and saying an emotional, "We did it!" Before giving him a high five. But if I lose, I will bow my head in defeat, not wanting to look at the sad faces of my team-mates, knowing that it was partly my fault. My fault for not putting in more effort during the competition.

Now, all that I can do is wait. Wait till the six days are over, and go for the title of Zone Champions. Fight tooth and nail during the competition. Leave HQ after the competition and go to Bugis Seoul Garden as Zone Champions. That is all I can do, but at the back of my mind, there always will be the lingering fear of losing.
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To the author of the blog I read (You know who you are)(In case you don't, your name starts with C), I dedicate this song.
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Climb Every Mountain

Disclaimer: I don't own this song, so don't sue me.

Climb every mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow every highway,
Anywhere you know.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
'Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life
For as long as you live.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream

Climb every mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow every highway,
Anywhere you know.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life,
For as long as you live.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream.