Success at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

were sitting down with our friends that I realized I hadn’t let Holly bother me at all lately. I was trying to think back to the last time she’d given me a mean look or deliberately turned her back on me, and I thought it was probably when we’d confronted her in the gym with Mrs. Truman. Had I actually seen her much since then?
    â€œPerhaps I’m just getting used to her coldness,” I said to Izzy.
    â€œMaybe she’s realized that there’s no point being horrible to you because you aren’t bothered!” said Bryony.
    â€œYes, I bet Bryony’s right!” Izzy said. Then her eyes suddenly widened and she hunched her shoulders. “It’s the race today! I’m so scared!”
    I didn’t feel at all scared, though, because I didn’t mind who won. I was just a bit sad because it had suddenly sunk in that this was the last time I’d be here at Pollington Water this term.
    â€œI’m going to ask Mum and Dad if I can go sculling for a birthday present in the holidays!” I told Izzy quietly, thinking that I wouldn’t mind if I had that as a present for every birthday and every Christmas for the rest of my life.
    â€œGood one!” she said, cheering up again.
    Emily and the others absolutely loved Pollington Water the moment they set eyes on it, and Izzy and I felt proud showing them round the boathouse and explaining everything.
    â€œLook! All the boats have names!” said Antonia. “I will find my favourite!” A moment later she announced that it was Carla Conrad . “Because Carla is an Italian name!”
    Down on the landing stage, it felt strange having our friends there watching. Ryan said we could have twenty minutes’ warm-up, then he was going to get the race under way. I’d been so sure I didn’t mind who won the race, but the moment we were in that quad, I felt determination rushing through my whole body. It wasn’t that I particularly wanted to beat Holly’s team, just that I wanted my own team to win. I’d never been competitive about anything before, so it came as a bit of a shock.
    We worked hard during the warm-up, but not too hard, because I wanted Izzy and the others to save their energy. As we were practising, George and Ben were putting buoys out to mark the course for the race. Then Ryan called us together. He said that the race would be four hundred metres in length, that Poppy’s team would be setting off first, then there’d be a whistle for my team to set off, and shortly after that there’d be another whistle for Holly’s team. I glanced at Holly but her face showed nothing.
    When it was time to get the three boats lined up for the start I called, “Okay, we’re on the start… Bow, take a stroke. Just a light one…that’s enough.” Sabrina had done as I said. “Come forward… and keep relaxed. We’ll square up the blades in a minute.”
    My crew rested their blades on the water as Ryan called, “Attention team one…”
    Straight away there seemed to be a new feeling in the air. Concentration. Energy.
    â€œGo!”
    And Poppy’s team set off.
    From that moment on, our little audience on the landing stage started cheering and I realized it had been a great idea to ask Mrs. Pridham if we could have supporters. They made a good atmosphere so the race seemed somehow more special. But, all the same, it was important to keep my team concentrating. “We’re drifting a little… I need another stroke, bow… That’s fine… Let’s square up now,” I said, as I waited for Ryan’s call.
    â€œTeam two… Attention!”
    â€œReady, crew…?” I said, swallowing.
    â€œGo!” came Ryan’s command.
    My heart thumped as I tried to keep my voice loud enough above the noise from the audience on the landing stage, but calm enough for my crew to feel confident. Poppy’s team