Pet School: The Biggest and The Boldest

Chapter 10: Championship

Week 4 Monday
Arthur's POV
Canberra. Capital. I've never been to the capital before. We came in last night to the hotel. Competition is today. Not even a week after the tryouts. I'm nervous, I'm not representing my school, my city or my state, I'm representing my country. But I feel like I'll do my head in if Chief snores one more time while I lie awake. That's right, I'm sharing a room with Alaine, Chief and Softie. We're all in the same state so it's funny how we all got in. Alaine's researched the competition and who's competing, it's her tactic to build up the skills she must. There is 9 countries competing today. Australia, United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Brazil, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand. All the countries with pet schools. All the international competitors also flew into Canberra either yesterday or last night. "Anyone awake?" Alaine whispered. "Yes." I whispered back. "Same." Softie also whispered. Chief continued to snore. "We need to be down there for breakfast soon." Alaine said checking the time. We got up and woke Chief. He got up slowly and we went down for breakfast. We were the last ones there.  Everyone was staring at us. There was less dogs and cats here than at the tryouts. Will this hotel make yummy breakfast like the one in Sydney did? 1 table was left with a note that said 'Team Australia'. We got our breakfast which was toast with cream cheese and lemony smoked salmon on top - with some other things on top. It was good but I definitely prefer the French toast. "You four team Australia?" The table next to us asked us. We nodded. "Do you live in Canberra?" One of them asked. We shook our heads and said we come from a different state. "We are Team Japan. Nice to meet you guys." Team Japan was nice. They looked happy, very social and friendly with the competition. It could all be an act, but I don't want to think so. "Everyone! Once you have finished breakfast, please go to your hotel rooms and get your swim bags and head to the foyer for the buses to the pool." Everyone finished at around the same time. "The nerves are getting to me." Alaine says to me when we walk up. "Same, I'm sure everyone is feeling nervous so you're not alone." I said. Alaine smiled. "Bus?" She asked me. I nodded.  Alaine, Chief, Softie and I were quick getting our things and headed down the foyer. The bus were waiting out front. "Team Australia? Right?" One of the coaches for a different country asked us. "Yes." Chief answered for us. The coach led us to the bus and told us to get on and also told us that we need to sit together in pairs. Alaine and I sat together and Chief and Softie sat in the seats across from us. The pair in front of our seats started to talk to us. "Australia? Right? Is Vegemite yummy?" One of them asked. "We haven't had Vegemite before... that's more of a human thing." Alaine said. "Do you ride on kangaroos to school?" Alaine and I looked at each other puzzled. "No?" I said. "We are team Brazil. Does Australia speak funny accent?" Do we speak a funny accent? I'm not sure. Some people have an aussie accent. We didn't respond to that. "Are dropbears dangerous?" "Oh yes! They drop on people all the time!" Alaine gave me a wink. "Thank you for answering our questions. Is there drop bears where we are going?" Question after question. "Possibly, did you bring a drop bear umbrella?" Team Brazil looked at each other worried and shook their heads. "N-no... we didn't. Is that bad?" Alaine and I nodded. "W-will you protect us?" "Sure." "Thank you! Good luck today." They said to us. "Good luck to you too." We said to them. When we arrived at the pool, there were also humans there. We walked in. It was like a big arena swimming pool with huge stands filled with people. There were even camera people. "Wow this must be really big." I said. "Of course! It's getting televised around the world." Softie said. Televised? We're going to be on tv?! We were instructed to go to the change rooms and get ready. I went to the boys one with Chief. We walked in. "Good luck everyone! Our team's got it in the bag though so you'll need the good luck." Someone from Team Canada said. "Yeah no, Team South Korea is winning for sure." Someone from Team South Korea responded. They started arguing while everyone got ready. Most of us had finished while Team Canada and Team South Korea were still arguing. We walked out, the girls on our team were out and Mr Gareth (he was selected to be Team Australia's coach) brought us in a circle. "Alright guys, no matter what I just want you all the try your best. Even if we don't win, we'll still have an achievement. Just get out there and do your best, Australia's counting on you." DSP's counting on me, not just Australia. My best friends are counting on me, my owner is counting on me, Akira's counting on me. A cat whisperer and a cat was being interviewed. "Oh wow. It's really her." Alaine said. "Really who?" Alaine's jaw dropped. "Know how I was researching the competition? Well, this is Jade Moon, one of Team America's cat swimmers. She's been swimming in her backyard ever since 2019, she first went to a pet school in Florida in 2022 when the first one was opened in her state. She joined the swim team there on day 1 and has broke records." Wow, that's impressive. She looked tough, she was sort of fluffy and a long cat, Maine coon for sure. "You're versing her." Alaine said to me. How does she know? "What? How do yo know?" It's on the charts. Every race you're in, she's in. Freestyle's her best." Freestyle's also my best. Now there's another reason to be nervous. Alaine lead me to the charts. Everyone's in 4 races. I'm in 50m Freestyle, 25m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 25m breaststroke. I was against the same cats every time. "First race get ready. Dog 25m backstroke." Wow that's fast. "Wish me luck." Chief said. "We'll cheer you on!" We said to him. The rest of the swimmers were lead to a sectioned off stand reserved for us. Chief got positioned on lane number 1. Team Australia's lane. He'll do good, surely! "At your marks... get set... go!" They all shot off. Everyone was fast. Chief was around 2nd and 3rd while they were swimming. But New Zealand was clearly in front. New Zealand won, Chief came 2nd and America came 3rd. "1st for New Zealand, Junebug Patel!" A Labrador from New Zealand won the race. The score board updated with NZ 1. Australia 2. America 3. "Next race: Dogs 50m Backstroke." Softie went. Chief came back to us with his badge for 2nd place. "Great job Chief!" We congratulated him. Softie positioned on lane number 1. "On you marks... get set..... go!" They zoomed off as well. This race was a bit longer. Softie was also keeping up. Rotating between 5th, 4th and 3rd. "C'MON SOFTIE!" I got up and shouted. This gave her the best as she went a bit faster, overtaking the dog in 3rd place and the race ended and she for 3rd place. "1st for America, Isabella Hernandez!" A bulldog, surprising. After all the dog races were over, America was in 1st, Australia in 2nd and the United Kingdom in 3rd. "Next race. Cats 25m Butterfly." "Good luck Alaine." "Thanks Arthur." She smiled. She got positioned. Her first race, I haven't even raced yet. "On your marks... get set.... Go!" "GO GO GO!" We were all shouting. Alaine was in front, this is good! "1st for Australia Alaine Wakely!" "Great job Alaine!" I congratulated her as she came back. "Next race 50m butterfly." Oof my first race. All of my competitors got out of the stands. "Jade Moon! *clap clap* Jade Moon! *clap clap* Jade Moon! *clap clap*" A chant from people in the stands had begun. It was loud. Jade Moon had fans for sure. "And the American fans are here." The speaker said. I got in the water. I was nervous. "On your marks... get set.... Go!" I bolted off and I'll guessing everyone else did. I could be way in front, or way behind, or even just barely keeping up. The swim felt longer than when I watched it, is it because I could possibly be going slow? I don't want to be left behind. If we're being realistic though, how am I going to beat Jade Moon? I finished though -eventually. Only Jade Moon was there. Must've been second, that's not that bad. Everyone came following in. "Oh hey!" Someone from the lane next to me said. "Hi." "I didn't get any dropbears! Good, right?" "Haha yeah I guess so." "1st for America Jade Moon Solace!" Jade Moon got out, stretched her paws out and took a bow. "JADE MOON! JADE MOON! JADE MOON!" "I love winning." Jade Moon said to herself. "Yeah, everyone does." She turned around. "Everyone would if they got to experience it. You? Not so much." Rude. "Hey I came second. Don't be so sinister." She laughed at me. "Do you break world records? No I don't think so. 2nd place is worthless, doesn't get you anywhere because someone better beats you. 2nd place is like a participation award. 1st place is the real champion and 2nd place has to bow in his or her's glory." I stormed off to the stands after receiving my badge. "Good job - why you so mad?" Alaine noticed and asked me. "It's just Jade Moon, she just said some stuff that I didn't like." "Listen, Jade Moon's like that, can never be nice." The Isabella dog said. "Do you not like her?" Alaine asked her. Isabella laughed. "Of course not! She is so rude! Never congratulates one of us when we get 1st, 2nd or 3rd, she just says she can get a faster time than us, brags, claims everyone has to bow down to her, ugh I heard she's mean and popular at her school." "You two don't go to the same school?" I asked. Isabella shook her head. "Nope and I'm glad. She's from Florida and I'm from Texas. The rest of my team is Massachusetts and California." Jade Moon came back. "Now how was that?" Isabella rolled her eyes, while looking at us but it was directed to Jade Moon

at the 50m freestyle.

My 3rd swim. Jade Moon also won 25m breaststroke. I really want to beat her but in this race I feel as though I don't have much luck. She has records in this race. I got into the water in lane 1. The water's warm now. When I first got in it was freezing cold. I could see in Jade Moon's lane her smirking. "JADE MOON! JADE MOON!" I wish those people would just shut up. "On your marks get set go!" I had confidence. I wasn't going to let anyone down. Not today or ever. I want to beat Jade Moon. I will beat Jade Moon. As long as my motivation's strong I can do anything at least that's what I hope. Everyone watching me will see I can do this. I can hear Alaine's voice in my head cheering me on followed by Mr Gareth, my friends, Akira and my owner. I can all hear their voices in my head telling me to keep going. I can hear Bailey as well and Honey and Paisley, I can even hear Izzy? Strange but I can hear her too. I can hear VPF, Chief and Softie. I can hear Jade Moon saying 2nd place is a participation award but it's not. I can do this. I can hear Isabella secretly wishing I beat Jade Moon. And there I have finished. Jade moon was also there. Second place again isn't so bad I guess. At least I had good motives. Everyone took a little bit longer than the other rounds to catch up. "The world record's been broken!" I overheard someone say. "Ha! I broke my own record." Jade Moon said and she gave me an evil look. As we got out the pool, there was no speaker saying the winner. "C'mon stop slacking! 1st for America Jade Moon Solace! Come on!" People in the stands were whispering and not chanting Jade Moon for once. Jade Moon was getting impatient. One of the officials came to us. "Hey you two, we're just looking back at the footage as we can't tell who won as it looked like a tie." He nodded and ran off. Jade Moon's face filled with fury. "It's not a tie. I won." "Sorry about that everyone, but here is the winner and a new world record breaker 1st FOR AUSTRALIA ARTHUR WILLIAMS!" F-first? WORLD RECORD BREAKER?! I did it! I really did it! I beat Jade Moon! I won! I broke her world record! I've set a new one! "NO! I WON." Jade Moon shouted as I was presented my medal. Jade Moon tried to snatch it but she was pulled away by the cat whisperer. I ran back and Alaine ran at me and gave me a big hug. "Well done Arthur!" "Thanks Alaine." "How nice! Your girlfriend?" The cat from Team Brazil asked me. Alaine and I looked at each other. "Uhhh, no not quite." "Ohhh. You two would look good together, congrats on 1st place and world record." Alaine and I walked back to the stands and everyone congratulated me.

At the end of the race.

As we walked outside I was swarmed with interviewers and camera people and the cat whisperer. "Arthur Williams! How does it feel to come 1st place and beat Jade Moon Solace from Team America?" I looked at the cat whisperer, he winked. "It feels amazing, I never felt it was possible." Everything I said the cat whisperer translated to the interviewer. "How does it feel to break a world record and be setting a new one.?" "Amazing, I still can't believe it but I'm so proud of myself." "Who has supported you the most?" "My fellow teammates here and back at school, my coach, my friends, my owner and my girlfriend." The interviewer looked impressed with me. "Did you have a motivation?" "Yes, I had a motivation to  just beat Jade Moon after she told me 2nd place is a participation award only. I imagined all of my friends, teammates, coach, owner and girlfriend's voices in my head cheering me on which really kept me going and is one of the main reasons I did it." "Well thank you Arthur, enjoy a safe trip back home." I thanked him and went on the bus. My phone was flooded with messages. All congratulating me, but Artemis sent me something  totally different.

Artemis: hi congrats, here's an update. As you know Cindy started talking to Mishka again on Friday, she's talking to me again only today but no Blueberry just yet.