Because You Suck: Chapter 14: Part 5

Zach never heard a speech ramble on so long. Speeches always seemed to last longer when you were waiting for your turn. But this pointless dribble, coupled with shallow lies and incompetent assertions… Zach just waited for someone to jump on the desk and shout “Bullshit!”
But he knew that wouldn’t happen, because those kinds of things never happened when they needed to. One minute turned to five, five to ten, until finally she squeaked out that a Vote for Kylie was a vote for free pizza.
“Ok!” Casey spoke up, strutting to the front of the room amidst the bustling assembly, “Everyone just close your eyes…”
“---What about me?”
“Oh, right. Zach. Go, hurry up, you’ve only got one minute….”
“One minute!” he exhaled as he pulled out of his seat, and stared back at the crowd.
“Hi!” he inhaled, breaking into a cold sweat at the thought of the seconds pound away, “Yeah, ok, my name is Zach. I didn’t just show up to every meeting but I hung up over one thousand posters, and I was always up for doing anything---”
“Could you please talk a bit slower?” Kylie asked with a drawl.
Zach fumed. He continued, there was no time for a comeback.
“Like, when the club needed popcorn for the movie night, I brought it. I never HAD any position in this club, so---”
The bell rang, interrupting him.
“---voteforme!”
“Ok!” Casey spoke up, to the bustle of people already packing up, “Everyone close your eyes…”
“Raise your hand if you vote for Mikey…”
“…Felix…”
The door slammed open and shut as people left the meeting.
“…Kylie…”
Zach closed his eyes tightly and raised his hand into the air. His heart pounded in his chest and a cold sweat built on his forehead. Nervous shivers coursed up and down his spine, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge.
“Raise your hand if you vote for Zach!”
It was so close… so close…
The door creaked open, slammed shut…
One, two, three seconds…
Shut, open, shut…
“Okay! Open your eyes…”
“---Did I win?” Zach gasped out, eyes opening to the near-empty room before him.
Mikey gave a sheepish look to Casey, who looked at Kylie, then back at Zach.
Felix shrugged.
“Well, no. Mikey got the most votes and you lost to Kylie by one vote. Good job, though.”