I am betting on O - Part I

Imagine this:
A typical high school in any Indian city.
Except that this school takes it school president elections a tad more seriously.

All students from standards 5-12 can compete though the election usually draws contestants from classes 9 and 10, and sometimes from class 8. (Entrances, exams and education in general cure the 11 and 12th standard students of any enthusiasm for the elections or much else.)

Each of the students has one vote each, and the teachers have 2 votes apiece. To mix some learning with the process, the social studies teachers have modeled the whole process as a simplistic democracy. They have mandated that the president needs to select his deputy and both of them can campaign for 2 weeks during lunch breaks and other free periods, without disturbing classes.

The school president is expected to serve as a role model to his juniors, help the teacher's with the school day arrangements, encourage people to take part in inter-school competitions and arrange such events in school.

There are no pre requirements to contest, other than that you need to choose a partner who will be the Vice School President if you win.

The 2 weeks of campaigning and subsequent voting is eagerly looked forward to by all the students. It provides a little drama during the yearly mid terms. And traditionally the school usually elects the popular 10th grade contestant. Someone who is good at studies and sports and has a big friends circle. Someone with an easy manner and a winning smile. Someone who can make passionate speeches from the school assembly block proclaiming, "I will make sure none of us have remedial classes during the summer breaks". All students know that would be impossible, but it is nice to hear it aloud nonetheless.

But this year it's different.

This year the elections seem bigger, they are no longer the mid year quasi break for the whole school. And that seems to be because of the students contesting.

We have the class 10th topper contesting = H.
She has been the topper in her class every year and among the teachers that she will get a rank in the 10th boards is a foregone conclusion. But as far as the elections are concerned, this precisely seems to be the problem. You see, she is good at studies but nothing much else. The high priestess of the Book Worm club, the math Olympiad winner, the debate society head. All this leaves her with little time for sports, but she doesn't care. Everyone knows it takes studying, lots of it, to be the class topper. Also, she's not the most popular girl in school. People are either in awe of her (the wide eyed younger girls working furiously to become part of her Book Worm club) or are jealous of her (the smart ones who always seem to contest only for second rank and below) or are dismissive of her (the sporty ones - "All she does is study. Get her to play badminton with me once and I will show her who's on top")
So, it was a little surprising when she threw her name in the ring.
But then the teachers always knew this would be the case.
H, however intelligent or accomplished, was living under her elder brother B's shadow.

An illustrious alumni.
The one who did it all - top the 10th boards and 12th boards, captain the school football team for 5 years and win each year's district level debate competition.
He was the proverbial 'all-rounder' and he did it all effortlessly.
(His batch mates have special respect for him because they say he did all this while simultaneously juggling 2 girlfriends from the neighboring girl's school.)
And he was one of the most popular school presidents.
H doesn't have B's easy charm with people, but I will be good to everyone all the time she vows. She doesn't have B's effortless genius, but I will study twice as hard she promises herself. She has nowhere near as many friends as B had, but they will come with I become the school president she consoles herself.
So, though the students find it a little weird that the school brainiac is contesting the almost-frivolous elections, the teachers want her to win. They know how hard a loss will be for her.
She has chosen her best friend as her deputy. No one other than the ones who share her bench knows her name.

But the twist to this year’s elections is the other two surprising contestants.
One is the precocious 8th grader O, the tall gangly kid from out of town. A topper in his own class like H. But that is where the similarity ends. O loves basketball and beats even 10th standard kids at one-on-one playoffs. (His classmates say one evening he even beat a 12th standard kid. "That's how good he is actually", they whisper)

He has an infectious grin and an unaffected manner that the seniors don't feel like ragging him. ("He 'pals around' with the super-seniors too", his classmates sigh, lamenting about that grave unjustness)

The juniors hero worship him and the seniors like his company. The boys are his friends and girls routinely have crushes on him.

[To be continued...]