She had the looks, and perhaps, if she was as rich or powerful as they were, she would not have had to force her way to that table. She wasn’t, and that’s what made her so special. She walked up to that table with such an air of defiance and unbridled confidence, that everyone in that bar followed her every step. Not simply as bystanders either, everyone’s stare was that of support. Boy, do we love underdogs.

You should have seen Percy’s face contort at such an unwarranted and unexpected challenge. Her eyes fixed on Percy, she loudly proclaimed to him that she wanted a seat on the table. The silence was deafening, but there was no way that the elite table could escape answering.

I feel like I should call you out for your prejudice, but we both know that the answer was in the negative. In the same way that we know that Percy’s lower class opponent was not having that. Instead, she proposed a coin toss to decide the affair — heads, she stayed.

On occasion, you might have wondered what it feels like to be under the spotlight, so I’ll try to illustrate that for you. If faces are anything to go by, the limelight feels like a forge testing a sword’s strength. It’s the unrelenting pressure to ignore your feelings and please the crowds. It’s a noose fastened around your honor.

There was no way Percy could deny her that chance. He could not deny us the chance — the opportunity to hope that for a few, meaningless seconds, we could stand up to the moguls that silently ruled us over.

The coin tossed a couple of times in the air and came to a stop on the table. I didn’t have to be close to witness what face it had landed on — the girl’s face eased into a satisfied smile. That was enough of an answer.

There’s one thing I forgot to mention about prominence — one loss can take it all away, sweep it under a rug never to be seen again. And Percy seemed to love it far too much to lose it, for he quickly challenged her again.

You know how it goes with pompous men like Percy; winning is not just about beating their opponents, but about humiliating them, putting them in their place. I could see it in his face, his defiant smile. The stakes would be higher now. With the coin firmly in his hand, his fingers grasping his destiny, he declared the new conditions.

Under identical conditions, heads would banish Percy from the bar and have him yield his pocket watch. Tails, and order would be restored to the table. Deep down, I know that we’d both have been rooting for the same result.

The coin rose higher, spinning upon itself in a perfect arch. All gazes fixated it, as if in a trance. There was no telling where it would land, but all hopes were one. Even the barista had neglected her duties, mesmerized by the piece of metal’s flight. Finally, it landed.

It’s a pity that you missed it. Percy’s face twisted into an involuntary grimace, before twisting into an unfamiliar, forced smile, acknowledging defeat. And yet, I could imagine just how his mind was wrestling with his instinct to not make a scene, to bow out gracefully. Perhaps the bigger shame is that he did not give in to his instincts, so I could get to know what foul matter he truly was made of.