“What is with the long face? Are you alright?” Robert asked, coming to Crag’s side.

“It’s nothing,” he shrugged the question off, going into the room he shared with his younger brother.

“Don’t give me that! I know there is something wrong,” Robert replied firmly.

Crag sighed, sitting on the bed. “Well, you know I applied for the senior prefect post, right?” Crag asked. Robert nodded for him to continue. Crag explained about the others also running for the post. “I can’t compete against them,” he concluded.

“Hey, don’t say that, you have just the same opportunity as everyone else. You are amazing, talented and intelligent. There is only one thing you are lacking,” his brother said, standing up to leave the room.

“What is it?” Crag asked eagerly.

“Confidence!” his brother said.

Crag did not leave the room for anything. He stayed all day. His mother worriedly left his food beside him on the bed. In the middle of the night, his brother woke him up.

“Crag, I have some ideas. Why don’t you write an essay to your teachers and explain why you want the post, and also place some notes in every class stating why you should be the senior prefect? It should work!” Robert suggested.

Crag felt renewed and he was filled with several ideas. The next day he submitted his essay to the head teacher and placed the notes in every class. While delivering a note to one particular class, a group of juniors came up to him and assured him, “We will surely vote for you, Crag, you have really helped us.”

“I did?” he asked, puzzled.

“Yes, when I failed the trial exam, you volunteered to tutor me. It really helped and my grades have since improved.”

“You stopped the bullies from harassing me in the hallways,” another junior said.

“You gave me your lunch when I had none,” a third junior joined in.

He had almost forgotten all that, as it was a long time ago.

One of them turned and faced the class calling on the students in the room. “Who will you vote for?”

The whole class chorused his name. Crag and his best friend kept placing the notes in the classes and waited.

***

Tell us: Do you think the support that Crag has been shown puts him in a better position?