Well, hey there. I am sorry for not updating. I did not update because I was working on my new story 'A New Species'. Lots of thanks to those who reviewed. For those of you that do not review, start thinking about reviewing so you can get your opinions out. Also, lots of thanks to pinkbunnyvv who also reviewed. Well, on to another chapter. enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still do not own Sailor Moon. The only thing I own are the characters that I made up.

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~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Two Months Later (May) on Friday :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Today was another long day for Serena; like usual, Serena would go to her morning classes, listen to their long lectures, take down her homework, and leave. The only classes (not really classes) that she enjoys are lunch and recess. When it was recess time, Serena and the group would always walk around the playground and talk. When the teacher blew her whistle, they would line up and then go to their next classes. Every class was practically the same thing.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Lunch Time :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Finally, after listening to the long and boring lectures, it was time for lunch. Today's lunch was hamburgers and fries. The lunch ticket also included a drink, mixed fruits, and rice or mashed potatoes. Today, Serena and everyone in the group ordered their lunch instead of packing their own. The lines were long today actually more like every day.

            When Serena and the group finally got their food, they headed for their usual spot and sat down. There was a long period of silence until Serena asked Lita, "Why didn't you pack your food today?" Then Lita replied, "Well, I wanted to try some of the school's food. I also wanted to try it so I can finally answer the question 'why does everyone likes this food so much?'" Then Serena said, "Oh." Then they all ate quietly and finished early.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Recess Time! :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Since they all finished early, they got to leave early. When they were outside, they just sat down and talked instead of the usual walk and talk. They talked about today's practice, tomorrow's championships, and about the team. They also talked about some statistics and strategies so Serena would do well. When Serena went to the restrooms, Mina and the group were planning a celebration party for all of Serena's hard work whether she won or not.

            When Serena came back from the restroom, the group quickly changed the subject; but before they could say something else, the teacher blew her whistle and it was time to line up. While they were walking towards the line, Ray said, "Phew, we were saved by the whistle." Then Mina said, "Yup, that was a close one." Then Lita replied, "If the teacher never blew the whistle, I wouldn't have anything to say." Then Amy replied, "Yeah, me too."

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Two more Classes to Go :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            There were only two more classes to go. They are grammar/ language and history. First was history and then grammar/ language. In history, there is a test that might take the whole period. In grammar/language, there will be another long lecture.

            As soon as Serena entered the classroom, she sat down at her usual seat and started to review her notes. As the class started to fill in, the teacher announced that she will give them ten minutes to review their notes. As soon as she said that, all you could hear in the classroom was papers being flipped forward and some being flipped backwards. As soon as the ten minutes were over, the teacher got up from her desk and started passing out the tests. After that, she said, "You may begin. When you finish, put the test on my desk." Then she retreated back to her desk. Half an hour later, the teacher looked up from the papers that she was correcting and said, "Ok. Class dismissed."

            After that was said, all that was heard in the halls were the sound of stampeding feet.  All the charging was heard until the classrooms were filled. The grammar/language teacher was surprised at the promptness of the students in her class. Then , when she got back into her senses, she greeted all of her students to another day of grammar/language. Then the long and boring lecture began.

            When the class was over, there was another stampede in the halls. The stampede was cleared when all of the students returned to their homerooms. When Serena arrived to her homeroom, Mina and the group were already there. As soon as they waved to her, she waved back. Then she packed up all of her belongings and left for the last practice before the championships.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Practice :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Today at practice, Serena was a few minutes early. With the few minutes that she had, she started stretching. Before she started stretching, she noticed that everyone was talking and chatting away. After staring for a while, she came back to her senses and started stretching. When Darien came, everyone stopped talking and started to act serious.

            Then Darien said, "Everyone, let's go to the conference rooms to discuss some matters." Then everyone immediately obeyed his command and headed to the conference rooms. When they all were in the room, they took a seat and the discussion began. First, Darien said, "Congratulations! We won the finals. Now we are going to the championships, which is tomorrow. We will practice lightly today that way you will not feel really tired. Oh yeah, we are against the 'Speed Goddesses'. They are the third place team." After he mentioned the other team, a whole new discussion took place now that everyone knew what they were up against.

            Serena remembered the wise saying that somebody told her and quoted it in her mind 'Looks can be deceiving. When you meet a person and get to know them, you may think that you know everything about them, but beware because not everyone shows you their other side.' Then she made a vow in her mind that states 'I will not let my guard down for one minute because if I do, they will already win before the race has begun.'

            After that long conversation, everyone started practicing. Most of the time, they were practicing timed laps and drills. They did not practice running laps against each other, but, instead, they had a discussion at the end of practice talking about the strategy that they would use. After that discussion was over, everyone left and took their usual paths home.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Home :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            When Serena arrived home, she raced upstairs and started doing her homework. When she was done with that, she took a shower. After her long shower, she dried her hair and then she changed into her pajamas. After she was done changing, she went downstairs to eat her dinner. For her dinner, she microwaved some leftover chicken, rice, and mixed vegetables. She enjoyed her dinner and heard the front door opening, which signaled that her parents and brother were home.

Her parents went into the kitchen to greet Serena and she returned their greeting. After they exchanged their greetings, her parents went upstairs to change their clothes and then come downstairs to eat dinner. Serena was finished with her dinner and went into the living room to watch some TV. While she was heading for the living room, her brother was heading for the kitchen. When she turned on the TV, she heard her parents' footsteps as they walked downstairs.  They too were heading for the kitchen.

            One hour later, Serena went upstairs and started brushing her teeth. While she was doing that, her parents now occupied the vacant living room and watched TV. Since the TV downstairs was taken, Sammy decided to use the TV in his room.

            When Serena was done brushing her teeth, she headed to her room and went to bed. The thought that haunted her most was the questions 'Will I do well tomorrow? Will I embarrass myself tomorrow? Will I ever win the gold?' Even though she drifted off into a restful sleep, these three questions still bothered her.

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            Well, that is chapter 8 of Winning the Gold. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Well…um…so…that is all. laterz!  :)      =)    ε( =

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~