Ellie: Welcome back, everyone, to the last competition in The Sister Chronicles series!
Abby: We will be doing The Sports Competition today!
Ellie: There are two parts to this competition. Both will involve us racing.
Abby: We will be biking and swimming. First, we will be biking.
Ellie: Here we are, on a track. Whoever completes three laps first wins the biking round.
Abby: We are standing on a thick, painted black line, which marks the beginning and end of each lap.
Ellie and Abby mount their bikes.
Ellie: Three!
Abby: Two!
Ellie and Abby: One! Go!
Ellie and Abby take off on their first lap. Abby is in the lead so far, pedaling swiftly. Ellie is not far behind, face pinched in concentration as she tries to get ahead of Abby.
Three minutes later, Abby crosses the black line and is on her second lap. Ellie is right on her tail.
Then, Ellie begins to inch forward. Abby is becoming daring, swerving in front of Ellie every time she tries to move. She is trying to block Ellie from getting ahead.
Ellie spots a part that Abby is not covering up as well, and speeds through. She is now ahead of Abby.
Gritting her teeth, Abby pedals harder and faster. Both cross the black line at the same time.
They are on their third and final lap.
Ellie: I'm going to beat you, Ab!
Abby: Not if I can help it!
Both cousins pedal harder than ever. The black finish line comes into sight.
Abby begins to tilt her bike, forcing Ellie to the side. She then inches forward and with a last, great burst of speed, crosses the line first.
Ellie: Noooo!
Abby: Yessss!
Ellie: Well, congratulations, Abby! Abby is the winner of the biking round!
Abby: And now it's time for the swimming round!
Ten minutes later, they are at the pool, dressed in swimming gear.
Ellie: The swimming round is a bit more complex. We will be doing four laps.
Abby: However, each lap requires a different style. The first will be freestyle, the second backstroke, the third is breaststroke, and the fourth butterfly.
Ellie: I am really good at butterfly, and Abby is really good at breaststroke.
Abby: And we are both excellent swimmers. Don't worry, Ellie, I will not manipulate the water in my favor.
Ellie: That's a relief.
Abby: Three!
Ellie: Two!
Ellie and Abby: One! Go!
They launch off their diving boards and go immediately into a fast and furious freestyle. They streak across the pool, water droplets flying everywhere. Ellie gets to the end of the pool first, and goes straight into backstroke. Abby is right on her tail, and the two cut smoothly across the water.
Abby: Get ready, Ellie, because I'm going to win this one!
Ellie: Ha! You're behind.
Abby: Not for much longer!
They enter their third lap. Abby is indeed very good at breaststroke, but Ellie is not bad herself. Both are doing breaststroke as fast as they can, but Abby goes into the fourth lap a second before Ellie does.
And the real race is on! The fourth lap is the most crucial should either of the cousins wish to win. Ellie is best at butterfly, and her arms and feet are moving quickly. Abby is not far behind, and soon, they are five feet from the finish line, and Abby has caught up to Ellie.
Ellie gives one last powerful kick, and swings her arms up onto the border of the pool.
Ellie: I win!!
Abby: No, I have lost!
Ellie: That's okay! We've both won this competition!
Abby: It turns out that I am a better biker and Ellie is the better swimmer!
Ellie: A round of applause to us both!
Abby: Thank you for watching all of our competitions! Unfortunately, this was the last one.
Ellie: But that doesn't mean you won't see us again! Read about our adventures in the Spacia novels, and you'll feel like we're right there with you as you turn each page, immersed.