Swimming with Sharks

1
YOU'RE A DOLPHIN!
The worst day of Rita's life was the day she became a dolphin.
A day like that should have been stamped with a warning label:
BEWARE!
TODAY WILL BE BAD
But, there had been no warning. None.
Rita had popped out of bed. She couldn't wait to put on her brand-new warm-up suit--the purple one with ruffles. She couldn't stop smiling. She was one hundred percent ready to try out for the swim team!
Even after Rita got to the pool, there was still no warning. It felt like a good day.
Rita did a perfect racing dive. She loved how the water felt as her body sliced through it. Bubbles streamed all over her, welcoming her to a smooth underwater world.
When she'd swum two laps, Miss York punched Rita's time on her stop watch.
"Rita," she said. "You're a Dolphin!"
"Woo hoo!" cheered Rita. She lifted her hands into the air and twirled like a dancer.
Dolphins, thought Rita, are very cool fish. They're sleek, smart, friendly, fast. And, soooo graceful. She glided over and took her place beside two other kids that Miss York had named Dolphins.
Rita's friends, Rocky, Jazz, and Henry stood across from her, dripping pool water.
Rita waited for Miss York to tell them that they were Dolphins, too.
Miss York pointed to Jazz. "You're a Shark."
A Shark? thought Rita. Jazz is a Shark? Not a Dolphin? She tilted her head and banged it with her hand. Was water stuck in her ear?
"Henry," announced Miss York. "You're a Shark, too."
Jazz and Henry hurried over to form a new group. Rita's mouth fell open. Her towel slid off her shoulders and landed in the water that had puddled at her feet.
"Rocky," said Miss York. She checked his name off on her clipboard. "Shark."
Rita's heart felt as if someone was squeezing it. It needed room to beat, but there wasn't any.
She picked up her drippy towel and pulled it tight around her shoulders.
Miss York assigned five more people. "Shark. Dolphin. Dolphin. Shark. Shark." Rita watched all her friends become Sharks. She didn't know a single kid who was a Dolphin. Not one. She elbowed the boy next to her. "How do I get to be a Shark?"


"Ow," said the boy. He rubbed his arm.
"Sorry," said Rita. She hadn't meant to hurt him. Sometimes her jabs got carried away.
Before he could answer, Miss York explained, "Sharks swam faster times, so they'll form one team. Dolphins," Miss York smiled at Rita's group, "will make up a second team. At swim meets, each team competes against teams that swim like they do."
Oh! Rita sighed with relief. She'd be at the same meets as her friends. They'd just swim different races.
Miss York passed out schedules.
Rita did a little wiggle dance with her hips. Dolphins have style, she thought.
Rita looked at the schedule. Dolphin Meets, she read on one side--Thursdays. She turned it over. Shark Meets--Saturdays.
No way.
Dolphins are stupid, thought Rita.

Text copyright © 2008 by Betty Hicks