Venomous Agenda Memoirs

Chapter 23: Blowing Off Steam

For years now, it seems like everything is the same in broad strokes for the town and its math team. Going into the Math Madness playoffs in the top bracket, making some headway but always collapse. And every year, VA fans always hope some fresh recruit is the solution to their perceived Math Madness woes. Like Salome this year, Faith last year, and Valerie the year before that. Yet they hope that the long-term turnover inherent to high school mathletics will suffice to get the VAs their slice of mathletic glory on the national stage provided talent is properly managed.

But the VAs' fanbase also knows that having multiple USAMO qualifiers is not a surefire recipe to go deep into the playoffs. After returning from the first round playoff game, which the VAs win handily, carried by Valerie, Faith and Nicole, Valerie is shaking in front of her father.

"I'm nervous: what if the race to the IMO ends because I bomb the AMC-twelve? If that happens, who will forgive me? What are my options then? Will you still pay for college then?" Valerie asks, worried about the possible implications of failing on the AMC12.

"You will have to live with family outside the parish because the parish won't forgive you! And I might still pay for college, but you will need to make it to the USAMO again at your new school! Then and only then will you learn that love is conditional! Keep in mind that the parish might forgive you if you narrowly miss the MOP or fail to make it past the TSTST next season, however. But if you don't even make it to the USAMO this season, you can kiss the IMO goodbye!" Glen shouts at his daughter regarding the AMC12 and AIME.

"Who else would I live with then? You're stressing me out! I really hope the schools in your relatives' areas, or mom's relatives' areas, aren't mathletic pressure cookers like this place!" Valerie cries.

"Now, go out and continue to study for the AMC-twelve!" Glen orders his daughter who feels like the pursuit of the IMO is worth the pressure he's putting on his daughter. That, even though it's now about the parish and not simply VA.

I ought to blow off some steam! What will happen to me if I don't make it past the AMC12? I MUST score as high as I can on it so it will make my life easier on the AIME and, from there, the USAMO! Then again, the TSTs are much harder than the AMC12! While I don't need to be perfect, each imperfection on the AMC12 WILL make my life harder in February! Valerie ruminates while she simply tries to solve an old AMC12.

Under the relentless stress, the following day, Valerie notices something is wrong for the first time upon waking up on Friday morning:

"Eeeek! I'm losing hair! What's going on here?" Valerie screams, upon seeing her blonde hair thinning out, and loses her cool about her hair issues.

"Valerie, what's happening?" an annoyed Selena asks her daughter from several rooms away.

"Our second-round playoff matchup has been released" Valerie attempts to feign knowledge of who the VAs would play next week.

When Selena arrives in Valerie's bedroom, she sees the scene as if she tore her hair because of the playoff matchup for next week.

"Why would you tear hair off over a playoff matchup?" Selena questions her daughter after seeing Valerie's hair on the bedding.

"If you thought high school came with its set of pressures, even if you were only as strong as Anna, it's a nightmare for me!" Valerie keeps crying, and Selena can tell it's because of stress.

"What do you mean? You seem to be implying that Anna is on a lower tier as a student compared to you! Yet I know Anna must not be underestimated intellectually!"

"When everyone in town counts on me every week, I feel like I'm holding the whole town on my head! The whole parish even! Daddy might have pushed me to extremes in the past three years or so, supposedly because training female mathletes to elite levels fit his vision for the school and now the parish! How do you think Salome, Faith or Nicole would feel?" Valerie asks her mother, still sobbing.