Fifth Place

The race finished, and the children looked at the board. The coach read the final results out loud.

“In first place, Tom. He ran very fast. In second place, Aziz. In third place, Lena.”

She went on. “In fourth place, Sam. And in fifth place, Maya.”

Maya looked at her name. Fifth. She did not smile.

The coach saw her face. She came over.

“Last year,” the coach said, “you were tenth. This year, you are fifth. Do you see?”

Maya looked at the board again. Then she smiled.

“I came fifth,” she said. “But I went up five places.”