"Omg, if only Ala was here," Chen started, "we would have all tried it right this moment."

"What? Are you guys crazy? It's illegal and who knows what it could do to you," Zahra exclaimed.

"True, and plus there is no proof you tried it Nina," Maddy said.

"Maddy's right, but I don't think Nina would lie, right Nina? And plus, I'm not the best when it comes to holding breath, why don't we try this in the diving competition?" I suggested. Everyone looked excited. I think they agreed, I thought happily.

"I'm the best at holding breath, I don't think I need it," Cecelia stated.

"Since when do you think that Mermaid?" Sasha asked, astonished by Cecelia's bragging.

Everyone started laughing. Maddy and me didn't really get what was so funny but we were laughing seeing the others laugh so funnily.

While the room was filled with laughter, the door slammed open.

"Girls!? It's 1:00 AM! Go to bed now!" Nina's mom said in her funny Russian accent as she walked in. Thankfully Nina doesn't have an accent.

"Okay, okay, come on mom, it's a sleepover," Nina said.

"Da, immenna vot. It's a SLEEP over," her mom said. I didn't exactly get what she said in the beginning, but I could tell it was something like 'exactly!' 

Everyone laughed again and we all got ready for bed.

Soon at night, I thought about the competition. Were we really going to take the pills. Were they going to work? Would we get in trouble if someone found out? How does it even work?

***

In the morning we all woke up and packed our clothes. After playing till 12:00 PM, we had to go home. My parents picked me and Maddy up.

When we came home, Maddy ran to her house, for we were neighbors and she lived right next to me, and I went inside my house.

I told my parents about the sleepover, competition and new swimming suits. Of course, I didn't say a word about the pills though.

They were 'pretend' excited about the competition for me and I was too, well, I was truly excited. I wish they never allowed me, now that I think of it. I took out the brand new swimming suit our trainer had given us. I showed it to them and they were real happy, stuff like that.

I couldn't wait to try on the swimming suit. I waited a week, and today was finally the day. The day of the competition. I looked at my backpack with the swimming suit inside. I just hoped there wasn't going to be any backwards diving. I really am bad at those. I love normal diving, I'm pretty sure that's the competition's goal. Then, my phone's music broke my thoughts.

I looked and saw that Cecelia was calling. It was only 8:00 AM. I picked up the phone.

"Hey Cecelia, whats the matter?"

"It's me Sasha, from Cecelia's phone."

"Oh, hi S, what's the matter?"

"We were going to the pool, we were calling all the girls. Can you call Maddy?"

"Why exactly?"

"The trainer allowed us to come two hours early to train."

"Okay, sounds like a plan. I'll call Maddy and we'll be there in around forty minutes," I replied, wondering, exactly what is there to train for?

"Okay, thanks, bye," Sasha said as she put down the phone before I could say bye.

"Huh," I said as I put the phone inside the pocket of my backpack and ran down to ask my mom if I could go. She allowed like always. 

"Go to Maddy's house and call her, until then I'll wake up your dad so he can drive you both there." she said, then murmured inside herself, "two hours early huh? Strange."