His tone was laced with a mock sympathy as he spoke. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to underestimate you, but we all know that you can't possibly afford something as expensive as that clothing."Robert smiled. "How much is it again, Jack? Don't worry about me, worry about yourself.""I'm not worried about myself, Robert," Jack said condescendingly. "I can afford it, unlike some people who have to settle for hand-me-downs.""Hey, watch it," Robert said, his eyes flashing with anger. "At least I don't have to rely on my parents' money to buy my clothes, so just shut the fuck up and do your captain duties elsewhere!""Oh, so now you're an expert on my financial situation?" Jack sneered. "I doubt you even know how much that clothing costs. If you did, you wouldn't dare ask the price on behalf of your friend.""Actually, I do," Robert said, a sly smile spreading across his face. "It's $3,800, isn't it? I heard someone yelling outside, asking people to come buy. And you're complaining about me not

The whole crowd went silent. What could be heard were just muffled whispers and silent hums. Robert's eyes widened at the allegations, and when he turned, he saw Jack walking towards Jacob."Do you really think you can cheat your way to being the winner?" he snarled. "Well, not in Campbell campus!""That is not cheating. Didn't they remove such a rule last time?" Jacob defended, hoping he was right this one time.Jack's face was red with anger and disbelief as he stormed towards Jacob, his eyes blazing with accusation. "You think you can cheat your way to winning? That's not fair! You used a different technique in the middle of the race, and that's a foul. The rule wasn't ruled out!"Jacob's eyes widened in shock and confusion, his face pale as he took a step back, his hands up in a defensive gesture. "What are you talking about, Jack? I didn't cheat!"The crowd was silent, their eyes fixed on the unfolding drama, their whispers and hums quieting as they waited for the judges' respons

Jack's mouth dropped open in utter shock, his eyes wide with disbelief. He felt like he had been punched in the gut, his breath knocked out of him.He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The vice chancellor, the man who was supposed to be impartial, was actually suggesting that he, Jack, the best swimmer on the team and the captain, should step down and hand over the captaincy to Jacob, a beginner who had just gotten lucky? Jacob hadn't been training for long since they had imposed a f*e on using the pool, and now they had put him on the national team, and they wanted to make him the captain."No way," Jack muttered, his voice shaking with disbelief. "This can't be happening. Sir Jacob can't be the captain. He doesn't have enough experience."But the vice chancellor just smiled and nodded, his expression unyielding. "Yes, Jack. I think it's time for a change. Jacob has shown great potential and leadership skills. He deserves a chance to lead the team. Who knows? Maybe we would bring

As he leaped in last, the whole crowd had a disappointed roar, especially the students from Campbell High. How could he be so absent-minded, even standing at the podium like that?Robert and Ben stood still, watching as he tried to catch up with the other swimmers. He was literally the last one in the race, playing catch-up.Jack, on the other hand, seeing Jacob being the last to leap in and also the last in the race, trying to catch up with the top athletes, had a triumphant smile on his face that said, "I told you!" He walked closer to get a clearer view of how the race was going to end. He couldn't be happier that Jacob was proving his point from just a few minutes ago.He was very pleased, while the other students from Campbell High were angry about what was happening. It was crystal clear that they weren't going to make it to the semi-finals."Unbelievable! How could he be so absent-minded?" someone in the crowd muttered frustratedly."This is a disaster!" another student exclaime

Robert watched in awe as Jacob shot off the starting block like a bullet, his strokes powerful and precise - unlike the first time where he was slow. This time was very different. He was determined to make up for lost time, and Robert knew that he had the skill and talent to do it.In the first minute of the race, Jacob was on the same frequency and speed as the other top two swimmers, while others followed suit. They kept keeping up with each other for the next minutes, but the opposing team's captain, a tall, muscular boy with a cocky grin, was not going to let Jacob get ahead without a fight. He swam with a fierce intensity, his eyes fixed on Jacob as they battled for the lead.What?! Gasps filled the auditorium as Jacob and the last best swimmer went neck-and-neck as they swam back. They couldn't hide their surprised faces on seeing that Jacob was really doing better than he had just done in the last time."Oh my god, isn't that Jacob?" one of the students exclaimed in shock. "How