Ignore her and focus on your work

John decided to just push the matter out of his mind. Kate was obviously far too stunning for her to be interested in him---at least not for the reasons he'd prefer. She was probably considering how to approach him about getting help in calculus. Mr. Franz was a tough taskmaster, no doubt about it. Or even more likely, it was all just wishful thinking on his part. The last thing he wanted to do was present himself as yet another unsought male admirer whom she would need to tactfully turn down. Still, he could dream.

The rest of practice passed fairly uneventfully, but he couldn't help his eyes gravitating toward Kate a little more often than usual. She was definitely the sort of girl who was sneak-up-on-you-gorgeous. Her simple, short black hair, diminutive stature, petite frame, and somewhat conservative style of dress didn't exactly scream sex appeal, but the more attentive observer was apt to notice her soft, almost radiant skin, her delicately easygoing smile, and hypnotic blue irises that were almost violet in hue. John liked to think his appreciation of these features was a testament to his refined sense of aesthetics.

Soon it was time to go. As usual, Kate and the other girls paused to discuss the team's progress, and the conversation inevitably turned to the exciting prospect of the upcoming nationals.

"This summer is going to be SO great!" gushed Allison, "I mean can you believe it? Hawaii? Forget the meet, I'm going to hit the beaches every day!"

"Never mind the beaches," retorted Mandy, "You'll find me at the bars. The drinking age in Hawaii is 18! We'll all be able to go!"

A cacophony of approving hoots, bemused groans, and skeptical no-it-isn'ts ensued until Tanya raised her voice over the chaos.

"The real question is how we're gonna get the money to go in the first place," she said sternly, "I just found out that the school will only cover half."

The girls' faces fell at the news. "Half?! That leaves like... ten thousands dollars per person, right?" moaned Ilyana, who was never very good at math and had probably never purchased anything without the assistance of her parents' credit card.

"Try $800 per person," corrected Tanya, "Still, it's a lot of money to raise. Any ideas?"