The Knowledge Seekers

Chapter 6

Maya Winchester and Dylan Renfill. I scream when I see my name. I close my laptop and open it again. Surely enough my name is still there. I jump off of my bed and jump all around. I'm going to nationals! The competition is right around the corner though. One week.

I get out all of my math books and immediately start studying. They are books my mother sent from her college that she bought for me to study. It taught me every trick and crany to solving math problems and manipulating equations.

I'm so engrossed in my book that I hardly notice my dad come home, and the sun going down. When I finally come back to reality it's 1 in the morning. I realise I never ate dinner. My stomach grumbles and I get up quietly to eat food.

I see a pizza box on the stove and grab a pepperoni one. It's stuffed crust, my favorite.

"Who's there," someone whispers in a "manly" voice.

"Maya," I whisper back. The light turns on and my dad stands there in his blue checkered pajama pants and a Maryland state t-shirt.

"What are you doing up this late?" he asks.

"Oh yeah, I got into nationals. So I was studying," I say casually.

"You got into nationals?! That's great! When is it?" he asks.

"It's next week. I'm really nervous. I'm competing with people from all around the US. I know I'm really good at math, but I'm second guessing myself," I say disappointed.

"Hey don't worry about it. I know how much this means to you and when it comes to important things, you're passionate about it. You do your best under pressure," he says.

"I guess so. But I'm scared. What if I do pass and go to England? What if I don't and come back? Either way, I'm anxious and scared."

"You'll be great. You don't have to go to school this week. You can stay home and just relax and prepare," he says.

"Good. Thank you dad," I say relieved. School would only distract me.

"Goodnight Maya. Sleep tight," he says.

"You too dad," I say.

~~~~~