and touch the wall.
I stand up. Yellow house is screaming, and I look around. I won. I can't believe it. I dunk myself back under the water looking down to the other end. He came to find me. I spring through the surface attempting to control my stomach.
Out of the pool.
“Reid, focus. Okay?” Mr. Nash stops me as I walk back to my seat.
“Sorry, I will.”
“It's okay. You still won.” He smiles. “Go get dried off.” Then he’s calling out the next race.
I dry off in the sun, checking my phone.
My turn.
Out of the pool.
Dry off in the sun. Check phone.
At last, a text. “Are you winning?”
“Course,” I text him back.
My turn again.
No time to dry off, my turn again.
Walk back to dry off. It's really hot now.
“Reid again.” Mr Nash calls out, pointing to the board. My next race is moving to the blocks. I run to the end of the pool and dive back in.
Back to my spot in the sun. I need to stop entering so many races.
“What you doing after school?” Keller texts me when there’s only a couple of races left to go.
“Don’t know, you?” I text back, chewing on the side of my nail completely oblivious to the race.
A couple of minutes go by and I check my phone again. I will control myself and not ask if he got my last message. I will sit here and wait, I tell myself.
“Who's gonna' win?” I chant standing at the top of the bleachers to distract myself from my silent phone.
“Sara!” They all shout back. Her face burns red.
“Who's gonna beat them all?” I keep going.
“Sara!”
“Why?”
“'Coz. We're. Yellow!” We all shout out for the last race of the day, and Sara's first. Everyone has to enter at least one race or your house is disqualified.
She slowly walks to the end of the pool, looking back at me every few steps. We don’t stop cheering until the gun fires and everyone moves to their feet to get a better look. I think she’s going to come third.
She climbs out the other end looking surprised that she didn’t come last, and bows in front of our house once she gets back to the cheers like she won.
Mr. Nash steps up to the podium once everyone has changed and sat back down in the stand. “Thanks everyone for participating so well. And Braithwaite house, congrats for winning overall.
He holds our house trophy up, everyone in yellow screams out one last time. “It's. ‘Coz. We. Are Yellow!” Mr. Nash smiles at us. “And to Reid South for winning the most races individually.” He continues.
Megan snickers. “Well that's because she doesn't have an actual life.”
I smile at her. Losing isn't her strong point.
“That's about it. We are a couple of minutes early, make your way around the school and your buses or parents should be there to collect you. Don't forget, all classes resume as usual tomorrow, use this time if you have any outstanding homework.” He has to speak quickly and loudly to get the last part out over people talking and getting up to leave.
I follow the crowd exiting the complex, wandering around the side of the school.
Sara bounds over to me. “I like all your trophies. But did you have to be such a hog? I would have liked just one. And I think your best friend Megan wanted one too.”
I hold out the smallest trophy laughing. “You can have this one. I don't think I'll miss it.”
“Your generosity, it’s just amazing. I am almost speechless. Your crappiest, tiniest trophy. Wow. I couldn't have asked for more from my best friend.”
“I try.” I sniff.
“Sooo,” Sara drawls. “What did your gorgeous boyfriend want?”
“He is very unfortunately not my boyfriend.”
“Right oh, what did he want then?”
“He forgot to get my number yesterday.” I say casually, pretending to count my trophies.
“And when does his actual girlfriend leave?”
“Gone.” I shrug my shoulders trying to be all nonchalant. But my giant grin ruins it.
We come around the school from the back. People are everywhere being picked up by their
I stand up. Yellow house is screaming, and I look around. I won. I can't believe it. I dunk myself back under the water looking down to the other end. He came to find me. I spring through the surface attempting to control my stomach.
Out of the pool.
“Reid, focus. Okay?” Mr. Nash stops me as I walk back to my seat.
“Sorry, I will.”
“It's okay. You still won.” He smiles. “Go get dried off.” Then he’s calling out the next race.
I dry off in the sun, checking my phone.
My turn.
Out of the pool.
Dry off in the sun. Check phone.
At last, a text. “Are you winning?”
“Course,” I text him back.
My turn again.
No time to dry off, my turn again.
Walk back to dry off. It's really hot now.
“Reid again.” Mr Nash calls out, pointing to the board. My next race is moving to the blocks. I run to the end of the pool and dive back in.
Back to my spot in the sun. I need to stop entering so many races.
“What you doing after school?” Keller texts me when there’s only a couple of races left to go.
“Don’t know, you?” I text back, chewing on the side of my nail completely oblivious to the race.
A couple of minutes go by and I check my phone again. I will control myself and not ask if he got my last message. I will sit here and wait, I tell myself.
“Who's gonna' win?” I chant standing at the top of the bleachers to distract myself from my silent phone.
“Sara!” They all shout back. Her face burns red.
“Who's gonna beat them all?” I keep going.
“Sara!”
“Why?”
“'Coz. We're. Yellow!” We all shout out for the last race of the day, and Sara's first. Everyone has to enter at least one race or your house is disqualified.
She slowly walks to the end of the pool, looking back at me every few steps. We don’t stop cheering until the gun fires and everyone moves to their feet to get a better look. I think she’s going to come third.
She climbs out the other end looking surprised that she didn’t come last, and bows in front of our house once she gets back to the cheers like she won.
Mr. Nash steps up to the podium once everyone has changed and sat back down in the stand. “Thanks everyone for participating so well. And Braithwaite house, congrats for winning overall.
He holds our house trophy up, everyone in yellow screams out one last time. “It's. ‘Coz. We. Are Yellow!” Mr. Nash smiles at us. “And to Reid South for winning the most races individually.” He continues.
Megan snickers. “Well that's because she doesn't have an actual life.”
I smile at her. Losing isn't her strong point.
“That's about it. We are a couple of minutes early, make your way around the school and your buses or parents should be there to collect you. Don't forget, all classes resume as usual tomorrow, use this time if you have any outstanding homework.” He has to speak quickly and loudly to get the last part out over people talking and getting up to leave.
I follow the crowd exiting the complex, wandering around the side of the school.
Sara bounds over to me. “I like all your trophies. But did you have to be such a hog? I would have liked just one. And I think your best friend Megan wanted one too.”
I hold out the smallest trophy laughing. “You can have this one. I don't think I'll miss it.”
“Your generosity, it’s just amazing. I am almost speechless. Your crappiest, tiniest trophy. Wow. I couldn't have asked for more from my best friend.”
“I try.” I sniff.
“Sooo,” Sara drawls. “What did your gorgeous boyfriend want?”
“He is very unfortunately not my boyfriend.”
“Right oh, what did he want then?”
“He forgot to get my number yesterday.” I say casually, pretending to count my trophies.
“And when does his actual girlfriend leave?”
“Gone.” I shrug my shoulders trying to be all nonchalant. But my giant grin ruins it.
We come around the school from the back. People are everywhere being picked up by their
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