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Authors: M. Doty
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funny.”
“That’s too bad he’ll have to miss the whole week,” said Emily.
“I guess you don’t know Ben,” said Spencer, taking out a sandwich. “His only regret is that it’s such a short vacation. He was hoping he’d be gone for at least a month. Well, maybe next time.”
The boys talked and joked, asking Emily about her dad’s medals and what famous athletes she’d met. They were careful not to bring up her sister. Popular guys , she realized, are well liked for a reason. They’re unexpectedly nice. And funny. And, naturally, cute. A warm sensation pulsed through her. This must be how being popular feels , she thought. She liked it.
The only one at the table who wasn’t smiling was Dominique. She’d finished her massive bucket of wings unnoticed and was now staring at the pile of bones in front of her, as if wishing she could devour Emily the same way.
For the rest of the day, Emily rushed from class to class, and swim practice after school went so late that it was dark by thetime her dad drove her home. She wasn’t able to decompress and rehash the day’s events with Kimi until right before bedtime, when they met online.
ChEnigma22: So—how’s it feel to be popular?
EmilyK14: ?
ChEnigma22: Don’t play dumb. And Ben Kale’s BFF totally knew who you were! I can’t wait for Friday!
EmilyK14: Friday?
ChEnigma22: Uh. Hello? Ben’s party. The one Spencer invited us to?
EmilyK14: No… He said Ben would totally invite you IF HE WAS HERE!
ChEnigma22: Don’t be so literal.
EmilyK14: …
ChEnigma22: We’re going.
EmilyK14: Kimi… Even if I wanted to, my dad would never let me.
ChEnigma22: Which is why you’re not telling him.
EmilyK14: ???
ChEnigma22: On Friday night you’re “going to bed” at 10:30 like usual.
ChEnigma22: … I’ll pick you up down the block at 10:35.
EmilyK14: I’ll think about it.
ChEnigma22: Em… You always say that. And it always means no.
EmilyK14: I said I’ll think about it.
At Thursday’s practice, Emily set a personal record in the 200-meter freestyle. Her dad smiled as he showed her his stopwatch and made a note on his clipboard.
“See?” he said. “Our work is finally paying off.”
Our work? thought Emily, catching her breath as her father waddled back to his office, which adjoined the pool, to answer his phone. Her fastest time ever—she should have been ecstatic. So why did she feel so… nothing? It was as if she had just watched somebody else swim an amazing race, like she was a ghost watching her own body cut through the water.
She remembered a story Sara had told her once, on a rare occasion when their parents had gone out and Sara was watching over her: When Alexander the Great had conquered the known world and reached the farthest sea, he’d stared out at the water and wept. According to the legend, it was because he had no battles left to fight and no enemies left to stand against him. But what if it was because of something else? What if it was because there was no one standing next to him to share his victory? Now that Emily thought about it, she realized Sara had told her that story just a few nights after she had set the record in the backstroke. Her sister had also taken Honors History.
At the other end of the pool, the girls were squealing andlooking out the huge glass window by the side of the pool. Through it, Hector Alonzo, a popular older guy, was hoisting a sign that read AMANDA, WILL YOU BE MY HOMECOMING DATE? Amanda had run up to the window, breathed hot air against the glass so that it fogged up, and coyly written YES . Maybe she was a little more clever than everyone gave her credit for.
Isn’t that dance still more than a month away? Emily thought. Not that it mattered: She wouldn’t be going anyway.
As Amanda skipped happily to the pool and jumped back in, the other swimmers surrounded her, offering their congratulations.
“Jealous much?” asked Dominique from the next lane over. “Or are you just
“That’s too bad he’ll have to miss the whole week,” said Emily.
“I guess you don’t know Ben,” said Spencer, taking out a sandwich. “His only regret is that it’s such a short vacation. He was hoping he’d be gone for at least a month. Well, maybe next time.”
The boys talked and joked, asking Emily about her dad’s medals and what famous athletes she’d met. They were careful not to bring up her sister. Popular guys , she realized, are well liked for a reason. They’re unexpectedly nice. And funny. And, naturally, cute. A warm sensation pulsed through her. This must be how being popular feels , she thought. She liked it.
The only one at the table who wasn’t smiling was Dominique. She’d finished her massive bucket of wings unnoticed and was now staring at the pile of bones in front of her, as if wishing she could devour Emily the same way.
For the rest of the day, Emily rushed from class to class, and swim practice after school went so late that it was dark by thetime her dad drove her home. She wasn’t able to decompress and rehash the day’s events with Kimi until right before bedtime, when they met online.
ChEnigma22: So—how’s it feel to be popular?
EmilyK14: ?
ChEnigma22: Don’t play dumb. And Ben Kale’s BFF totally knew who you were! I can’t wait for Friday!
EmilyK14: Friday?
ChEnigma22: Uh. Hello? Ben’s party. The one Spencer invited us to?
EmilyK14: No… He said Ben would totally invite you IF HE WAS HERE!
ChEnigma22: Don’t be so literal.
EmilyK14: …
ChEnigma22: We’re going.
EmilyK14: Kimi… Even if I wanted to, my dad would never let me.
ChEnigma22: Which is why you’re not telling him.
EmilyK14: ???
ChEnigma22: On Friday night you’re “going to bed” at 10:30 like usual.
ChEnigma22: … I’ll pick you up down the block at 10:35.
EmilyK14: I’ll think about it.
ChEnigma22: Em… You always say that. And it always means no.
EmilyK14: I said I’ll think about it.
At Thursday’s practice, Emily set a personal record in the 200-meter freestyle. Her dad smiled as he showed her his stopwatch and made a note on his clipboard.
“See?” he said. “Our work is finally paying off.”
Our work? thought Emily, catching her breath as her father waddled back to his office, which adjoined the pool, to answer his phone. Her fastest time ever—she should have been ecstatic. So why did she feel so… nothing? It was as if she had just watched somebody else swim an amazing race, like she was a ghost watching her own body cut through the water.
She remembered a story Sara had told her once, on a rare occasion when their parents had gone out and Sara was watching over her: When Alexander the Great had conquered the known world and reached the farthest sea, he’d stared out at the water and wept. According to the legend, it was because he had no battles left to fight and no enemies left to stand against him. But what if it was because of something else? What if it was because there was no one standing next to him to share his victory? Now that Emily thought about it, she realized Sara had told her that story just a few nights after she had set the record in the backstroke. Her sister had also taken Honors History.
At the other end of the pool, the girls were squealing andlooking out the huge glass window by the side of the pool. Through it, Hector Alonzo, a popular older guy, was hoisting a sign that read AMANDA, WILL YOU BE MY HOMECOMING DATE? Amanda had run up to the window, breathed hot air against the glass so that it fogged up, and coyly written YES . Maybe she was a little more clever than everyone gave her credit for.
Isn’t that dance still more than a month away? Emily thought. Not that it mattered: She wouldn’t be going anyway.
As Amanda skipped happily to the pool and jumped back in, the other swimmers surrounded her, offering their congratulations.
“Jealous much?” asked Dominique from the next lane over. “Or are you just
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