'Katfish'

I'm 10, and I'm a Piranha. My best stroke is freestyle. When I grow up I'm going to the Olympics to beat Gary Hall, the fastest freestyle swimmer in the world. But first, I'm trying for JOs (Junior Olympics) with my relay team.

"Sigie!" I called to my friend as she dashed into the locker room.

Next came Chloe, her short hair bouncing as she walked. "Chloe! Yell-o!" I called.

Sigie and Chloe were on my relay team. They were nice. The fourth swimmer was Hope. She's a fast swimmer and has pretty blond hair. That's all I'm saying.

Mom always says, "If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all."

"I'm faster than all of you," Hope said as I opened my locker. "I've got two JO cuts — and you don't."

JO cuts meant she swam so fast that she qualified for individual events at Junior Olympics. I wanted some JO cuts too.

"Shut up, Hopeless!" I yelled and turned my back.

"You're going to get it!" Hope said and stomped away.

"We should make like snow and melt," Chloe said, squeezing my hand.

"Make like a banana and split?" Sigie asked.

Hope was bragging, again. It made me so mad. The three of us walked to the pool.

"Kat Logan!"

I stared at Hope's mom.

"Hope said you told her to 'shut up' and called her a name. That's not nice." Mrs. Jernigan said.

Like, duh. It wasn't supposed to be nice. "She was mean first."

"That's right," Sigie said. "She was bragging … "

Mrs. Jernigan looked down at Sigie from her nose. "I wasn't speaking to you. I'm talking to Kat. Kat Logan, apologize."

I crossed my arms and shook my head. "No way," I said.

"I'm surprised at you. Wait until Coach hears," Mrs. Jernigan said and marched away. She wasn't happy.

Chloe gave me a quick hug. "I'm scared. You're in big trouble."

"I know." I felt trouble deep in my bones — all the way inside my big toe. I shivered in my swimsuit.

"Kat Logan. Come over here this instant!" yelled Coach Elaine.

All around the pool, faces stared at me.

"You better go, girlfriend," Sigie said. Fear was knitted on Chloe's eyebrows.

"You disappoint me," Coach Elaine said. "You're supposed to be a leader, but instead you hurt Hope's feelings."

I chewed a thread on my towel and worked it loose from my braces.

I wanted Coach to like me. I felt tears forming, but Coach Elaine didn't like crybabies. I felt sick to my stomach all the way out to my face. I couldn't get my lips to move.

Hope sat on her mom's lap in a deck chair next to Coach. Mrs. Jernigan dabbed tears from her daughter's cheeks with a white tissue.

"Kat, you are not acting like a Piranha. You're off the relay team," Coach Elaine said, "unless you apologize to Hope."

Not the relay team! Why was I in trouble? Because I wouldn't say sorry? Hope should! She started it. But, without me, there wasn't a relay team.

I watched Chloe and Sigie stretching on mats next to the pool. They caught my eye and glanced away.

I felt like I was stuck in a bad movie.

"I'm sorry," I said and hugged Hope. It wasn't fair, but I did it for my team.

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