The Player Diaries

The limit does exist

*****
(Stevie said)

If only I knew what was going on with Ally, I would take her place in the Mathletes in a heartbeat. But I didn't. I wasn't even sure if she needed my help.

I just thought to myself that I would join the Mathletes for the school. After all, Pab High had been good to me.

That night I forced myself into recalling trigonometry and calculus, which I had thrown in my brain's bin after the final exams were over. It was a relief though--I was able to take Ally off my mind for a bit.

I dragged myself to the auditorium on Mathletes day and found Raj, Mei and Ms. Norbury solving last-minute review questions.

Ms. Norbury approached me and patted my back. "I'm glad to see you, Stevie."

I forced a smile. I wished I could say the same to her. "I could tell there's still no sign of her here," I whispered.

She shook her head. "But you're here. That completes your end of the bargain."

We identified our strengths and weaknesses and discussed our strategy. Speed and accuracy--those were the key words they told me, which frankly I wished I had trained for.

There were buzz after buzz in just split seconds after each question was read. There was no room for error. At the end of three rounds, Pab High was tied with Sta. Monica High--we were going to a clincher round and we needed to choose one representative. Ms. Norbury had yet to decide.

*****
(Ally said)

"You really are a woman of your word," Margot said when I handed over my last deliverable with Gold Star that morning.

"Well you are too," I answered when she gave me my paycheck.

Margot got up from her desk. She straddled me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I froze. "Now that you're no longer working for me, why don't you and I cover all the bases?"

I gave my full force to lift her up and move her to another chair. "No thanks."

"Why?!? Your app says we make a good match now. That app is your bible!"

"Let me correct you there--that's your app now," I reminded her as I wave my multi-million dollar check. "And I won't be dictated by what the data say anymore. I have my own will."

"What's gotten into you?"

"I choose Stevie..." I whispered. "I hope she could still choose me."

I found myself rushing to my car. I wanted to run away from Margot, from Gold Star, from the life-sucking tech dream job I had for a few weeks.

I had been a total ass with my friends, my family and mostly to Stevie. I stepped on the gas to get to her house but she wasn't there.

"Mathletes is TODAY," I read a text from Ms. Norbury. "Where are you?"

"Oh shoot!" I said to myself. "How could I forget about Ms. Norbury's ultimatum?"

I got in before the clincher round started. I was relieved to find Stevie there.

"Ms. Norbury!" I said, catching my breath. "Field me in. It clearly stipulates in the rules that you can choose an alternate."

"And why would I do that, Ms. Hills?" Ms. Norbury answered. "But may I say you are very much early for the Mathletes next year."