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Aldo shakes his head "You can’t race At all"

"Why not?" I clench my hands into fists "They raced Bay Why am I any different?"

"You just are," Aldo says "There’s so is wrong about er--without anyone to race?

There’s nothing I can do about it

Except, there is

I could speak to Aldo, putting barely any sound behind the word; it could be ainst his neck as I leaned in I would hardly have to use any of my real voice But he’d hear a hint of it, close to him and only for him "Please," I’d whisper, and in spite of himself he’d close his eyes He’d do whatever I said I knoould

But I don’t do it

In that ht with ht now"

"For what?" he asks "You’ll waste your coin No one’s going to race you"

A few of the bettors and other racers have gathered around to listen, to see what I’ll do I don’t look at any of theainst hs "No one atch that," he says "No one will bet on it"

"That’s fine," I say "I’ it for the harder, to push myself Should I use so suits, the kind with resistance tothe perfect suit My h me down It will be hard to swiain tos on , so off, so odd about the other Conwy girl I duckthey say

I can barely swim the first few strokes after I push away fro pullsto be harder than this to get to the surface And you don’t kno far you’ll have to swiinning of what you’ll have to do

I look down at the black line along the center of the lane, the one that keeps you away from the sides if you follow it I keep to that line, with all the drag and pull fro on me, and I don’t stop until I’ve ain, until I’m afraid that I will actually drown

I climb back out My clothes are soaked, andSo attention, and I fight down a s I have always known, so that my mother kne to play upon People love a spectacle, an event Give the to watch and you will make them happy "So much of life is in the smallness of moments," rander celebrations and occasions People like to feel significant"