MANDY POV

So, maybe I´m the teacher´s pet. But it´s not like I intended to be. I sit at the back of the classroom and I hang with the cool kids.

But my grades are very good and it pleases the teachers a lot.

I´ve always had a way with the exact sciences. And of course, math is my passion.

I can do homework for two hours and not even feel the time passing when it comes to math.

Mr. Jackson, the math teacher has always counted on me to win some of the most important competitions in our city and even in the state.

I never went to national competitions, because my mother wouldn´t allow it.

I´m her only child and she treats me like her personal little Nemo (yes, just like the dad, in the animation ‘Finding Nemo’). She keeps her eye on me.

Everything is too dangerous or too difficult if I have to be away from her.

Even at summer camp, she would often join me. How? I´ll tell you. She would volunteer to be one of the monitors. If she was refused, I simply would go to the camp that accepted her.

I got used to it.

When the bell rings I join Steph, my best friend, on the way to the cafeteria.

“Mandy, Charlie made it to the swim team,” she is very excited to inform me. “And do you know what is the plan?”

“Tell me the plan, Steph.”

“We start to hang by the pool to watch them during practice. We´ll have access to Charlie´s new athletic friends.”

That was one advantage to have siblings. Her social life was easier. But of course, Steph was lucky to have a brother that loved her and accepted her company. Some guys told their baby sisters to get lost. But Charlie and Steph were always together at parties, joking and enjoying themselves.

“Steph, I have a mission for you.”

“Shoot.”

“You have to find out if Mark made the team.”

“Keeping one eye on your crush, Mandy?”

“Yes. But he mustn´t know that I´m asking around. Please, be discreet.” I knew that Mark hadn´t made it to the team the previous tryouts, due to his knee problems last year. And I knew that because I interviewed the coach for the school paper. Of course, it was never published and I was never part of the paper. But the coach never noticed that, and he always greeted me with that respectful smile that people use with a paparazzi.

These small pranks were called “missions” by Steph and me. It was always some harmless trick that allowed us to be updated about one of our crushes´ lives.

The girls enter the cafeteria that is extra noisy today because many guys are celebrating their tryouts´ success.

“Well, Mandy, this will be the easiest mission of all times,” Steph just has time to say that, before we are approached by her brother and the person that seems to be his new 'buddy', Mark himself.

“Hey girls, this is Mark, he is my teammate”, Charlie is very excited.

“So, you both made it to the swim team...” Steph says that to Charlie, but her eyes are teasing me.

“Of course, we did, silly. I already told you about that. At least about me, I did... And by the way, Mark here is the girl I told you about, Mandy. You can talk to her directly now.”

And saying these last words that paralyzed me, Charlie takes his sister to the food line and leaves me alone with Mark, the guy that makes my heart speed since 6th grade.

COACH POV

My work is serious and important. But I always find some extra time to answer the paparazzi´s questions about my process of selecting and training a team of champions.

I, myself, have one trophy that I won at the Ultimate Bingo Nights. I´m proud of all my achievements and that is what I try to pass to my athletes. A sense of pride.