It was hard for Maria to watch Leah as she ran. From the moment the gun went bang she was a blur, racing as fast as she could, which was pretty fast, around the track. Sometimes, it seemed like she was on fire, literally. She was a rocket. She was the fastest of the girls in her year, her age group and the school. She won gold during every cross country race and went all the way to State, and often Nationals to compete in the sport she loved.
But while running was Leah's passion, because of how great she was at it, the other students would call her a cheater. It hurt her to be called a cheater, when it was all hard work, effort and natural talent. Her mother, Maria knew how much it hurt Leah to be called that. She worked hard to be good at her running, to be the best. So when people said, constantly at times, that she was a cheater, it hurt her.
One night, after another running race, Maria and Lah sat on the lounge together. Again, the other participants and some of the onlookers had accused her of being a cheater. "Ok, Leah." Her mother looked her daughter meaning fully in the eye, her voice rich with a strong Spanish accent. "What is it Mama?" Leah looked at her mother, the promise of waiting tears in her eyes. "They say you are a cheater, yes?" Leah nodded. "But you are." Leah pulled back, her eyes wide as she stared at her mother in shock. "Not you too Mama!" "No." Maria continued calmly. "Take the word cheater. Rearrange the letters a little bit and replace the 'r' with an 'h'." Leah looked confused, but to Maria's relief, no longer hurt. "Cheetah." Maria clarified, smiling at her own cleverness. "You, my pet are a cheetah." Leah smiled, understanding now.
"They may call you a cheater." Maria said. "So let them. Because you know, in your own heart that you are a cheetah. The fastest of them all." Leah smiled at her mother. "And no one, " She added, stroking Leah's short black hair. "Can tell you differently."
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