By the end of January, we see that both stars expected to qualify for the USAMO have patiently waited for the announcement of the team result in the intercom during the AP Physics course:
"Good morning, everyone! We successfully defended our state title at the Vans Math Contest, formerly known as the Square Root of the Answer! The VMC contestants are summoned to the mathematics department office with their shoe sizes, and they will receive their prizes in one or two business days" the principal announces on the intercom.
"Shoe sizes? What are yours?" Imélie asks.
"Ten for me" Geneviève answers.
"Eight" Krista answers.
"But why are they asking for the contestants' shoe sizes?" Imélie continues, without having officially entered the VMC. "If you won pairs of shoes..."
"I remember this sequence last year. I would love something other than Skate Clouds this year; I still wear the Skate Clouds that Cory's dad gave me when we won last year"
"That's the prize of winning at the VMC's state phase?" asks Krista, surprised of what she won at this tournament.
Marcia wears 9, Cory, 11 and Vontae, 12. Then their shoe sizes form an arithmetic sequence. Gen, you have more charisma than all other female mathletes that can win it all at the VMC, or that could qualify for the EGMO or the IMO! Trent's words resonate in her head, with a falsetto voice. More charisma? Mathletic contests aren't won with charisma, and certainly not the EGMO or the IMO! she thinks, while, upon arriving at the mathematics department office, Trent shows a catalog of Vans shoes on a tablet to both girls. If Krista very rapidly chooses Vans Skate Clouds, because she wants something other than these strong safety cleats that Ted gave her, Gen, however, wanted something other than that.
In the meantime, in the neighboring parish, Tara and her math teammates are pleasantly surprised to see the neighboring parish qualify, and she wonders what the rest of the year will be made of, beyond intensive practices of multi-variable calculus.
"We qualified for the Vans Math Contest final, and we are asked our shoe sizes? They dared wait until this point to ask us that?" asks one of the boys on the team.
"Enjoy these free shoes. We'll only have one pair of shoes so choose wisely" Tara advises her teammates. "Don't be barefooted cobblers..."
"Tara, how do you know we win free shoes?" Trevor asks Tara.
"You didn't forget that I date a footballer at another school at the final? There all their mathletic successes put people achieving them under the spotlight! And he talked about how his teammates dated female mathletes..."
"Venomous Agendas fans seemed to treat the first VMC round as a formality, and, if they didn't qualify for the final, it would be a massive disappointment for them" Annette then tells the group.
"Our state will have three teams at the final. They publicly announced the finalists in a list sorted by state and then in alphabetical order. Benjamin-Franklin will also be at the final" another neighboring parish guy shows them the list of finalists.
Some VMC finalists are also names that people in both parishes recognize because they were in the Math Madness as well: University High, Village School, Whitman, Georgetown Prep, TJHSST, to name only some of them. Several mathletics powerhouses. Clearly a high level of competition await the Venomous Agendas and the neighboring parish. When Zack sees Tara again the next day...
"Oh Tara, when I think about it, I can definitely say that with you, it's like dating one of the mathletes my teammates date"
"Even though I'm qualified for the grand final of the Vans Math Contest, look at this new pair of shoes I won!" Tara points at her shoes.
YOU ARE READING
The Quest for High School Mathletic Glory
Teen FictionNote: This is an English translation of a story previously written in French. Geneviève, a junior in a rural southwest Louisiana high school, quietly lived her high schooler life until the unexpected victory at the state calculus championship propel...
