I exit the stage, and my mom and Allie are waiting for me. I dash over to them, right into my mom's outstretched arms. "Wow. The Spelling Sisters, on their way to the next bee, huh?" She pulls away just enough to smoosh Allie into our hug.

"Wait 'til you father hears," she smiles at us. "First and third place. Amazing!" I grin at Allie. She gives me a half-hearted smile back.

"Let's get a move on," my mom reaches for her purse. "What do you girls say to the idea of me picking you up early and us going out for ice cream?"

Allie and I don't use words, just smiles, to tell her yes. She walks a couple feet in front of us as we leave the auditorium.

"Nice job, sis." Allie throws her arm over my shoulder. I can't help but feel a little bit of guilt, because she seeks genuinely happy for me. And I...? I was practically happy when she misspelt her word. "You did great, too. I would have spelt it the same way." I look at her bronze metal hanging across her chest.

She seems to be looking at it too. "How'd you know how to spell those words?" She mumbles to me. I shrug. "Um, I guess I just lucky?"

She sighs. "Wow. You are lucky."

Sometimes I think she just says stuff like that to fish for compliments about herself.