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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 ti 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 subed underwater just in case She didn’t want anyone to notice the gills This was the first tiested 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 caht? Shelly would have to think on that

After all, having gills was like cheating The second she had dropped the towel fro up the slits—and had dived into the pool for the practice drill, she had instantly felt soed 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 co 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 naut “Wow, thirty seconds?” she asked At the sarin spread across her face Maybe the deal with the sea witch really orth it, gills and all She glanced around the pool The other swi 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 sh 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?”