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The dead fish was gone.
How is that possible? How is any of this possible?
Shelly secured her scarf and bolted from the room.
* * *
“Wow, look at your time!” Coach Greeley said, clicking the stopwatch when Shelly slapped the side of the pool.
Shelly whipped up her head and snapped back her goggles. “How’d I do?” she asked, keeping her neck submerged underwater just in case. She didn’t want anyone to notice the gills. This was the first time she had tried swimming breaststroke, but the coach had suggested it in case they needed her on the medley relay team. Breaststroke was Kendall’s event, while freestyle was Shelly’s specialty.
“It’s not just a personal best.” Coach Greeley scanned her clipboard through her thick oversize glasses, then looked back up excitedly. “Looks like it’s a new school record!”
Shelly couldn’t believe her ears. “A new school record? Really? Are you serious?” Suddenly, she was starting to appreciate the sea witch’s gift. It wasn’t a curse after all. But would she be disqualified for “cheating” if the gills came to light? Shelly would have to think on that.
After all, having gills was like cheating. The second she had dropped the towel from around her neck—where it was covering up the slits—and had dived into the pool for the practice drill, she had instantly felt something was different. It had felt like she belonged in the water. She had torn through the pool like a fish. The gills had worked wonders. She no longer needed to inhale on every stroke. Actually, she didn’t need to at all, though she did once or twice so she wouldn’t throw anybody off. Just for show. She didn’t want anyone to grow suspicious about the girl who didn’t have to breathe during laps. It was bad enough that Normie still called her fish lover.
“Well, it’s not an official competition time,” Coach Greeley went on, scribbling on her clipboard. “We can’t add it to the record books. But you beat the previous record by a full thirty seconds. Let’s see . . .” She scanned her clipboard. “That record was set last year by Kendall.”
The name hit Shelly like a punch to the gut. “Wow, thirty seconds?” she asked. At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling the grin spread across her face. Maybe the deal with the sea witch really was worth it, gills and all. She glanced around the pool. The other swimmers, including Kendall, were finishing the drill. Shelly climbed out and joined Coach Greeley.
Below, Kendall slapped the side of the pool. She was red-faced and breathing hard. She’d come in second, but a very distant second, in the drill. The twins appeared next, also winded.
Coach Greeley shook her head. “I can’t explain it, Shelly,” she said, studying her stopwatch like it was broken. “You’re like a whole different swimmer today. What’s your secret?”
Shelly, towel looped around her neck, shrugged and smiled, hoping that would be enough. But when she saw her friends watching, she said, “I guess practice makes perfect.”
Coach Greeley grinned, then looked down. “Kendall, nice job,” she said. “But you’ll have to do better! Shelly here just beat your official record. Can you believe it?”
Kendall’s eyes narrowed but then widened as she swept Shelly into a hug. “I totally underestimated you, Shells. You swam so fast!” she said. “Now we’ll win that regional trophy for sure!”
Attina said, “You even beat Kendall at her own event. That’s, like, never happened before.”
Kendall flashed Attina a look but then quickly smiled. “Shelly’s a natural at breaststroke,” she said.
Shelly was thrilled by her performance but even more by Kendall’s praise.
Now she couldn’t wait to face Little River and Judy Weisberg again in the next meet.
I’ll show Judy a thing or two.
* * *
“See? I told you I’d do better,” Shelly said, proudly parading into the locker room with Kendall and the twins. She kept the towel draped around her neck like a featherless boa. She felt like her wish had been worth it. Now Kendall would just have to stay friends with her.
Kendall reached out and touched her shoulder. “As the team captain, I’m totally proud of you.” Kendall grinned, and for the first time, Shelly felt like she had the upper hand in the friendship—like Kendall admired her, instead of the other way around.
Attina and Alana nodded their agreement.
“Thanks,” Shelly said.
“Don’t mention it.” With a flip of her hair, Kendall marched to the showers. Alana followed, but Attina lingered behind, looking torn.
“Look, I shouldn’t say anything,” Attina said, eyes darting. She glanced after Kendall, making sure she disappeared into the showers. “But just be careful with Kendall. She wants you to win—just not against her.”
Shelly frowned. “What do you mean?”
Attina waited for the showers to start running, masking their voices. “Kendall is the top swimmer at Triton Bay,” she whispered. “Everyone knows that. She’s the captain of the swim team. It’s, like, her reputation. If you keep beating her top swim times, you’ll ruin that.”
