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00:00Hi, I'm Serena, and I know what you're thinking.
00:03She looks nothing like her family.
00:05That's because I was adopted when I was a baby.
00:08I was born in Romania, and I might have taken that small piece of trivia a little too seriously.
00:13Oh, I can't water the plants.
00:15Romanians are allergic to the sun.
00:18Does this broccoli have garlic on it?
00:20Romanians don't eat garlic, Mommy.
00:22But I have to sleep inside this cardboard box.
00:25It's a Romanian thing. You won't get it.
00:27That's a vampire thing, doofus.
00:30They'll sleep in a bed like a proper human child.
00:32God, you're so dumb.
00:34I wasn't dumb. I was quirky and cute.
00:37But Fred was right.
00:38I just never seemed to make the smartest choices.
00:41Fred wasn't only my brother.
00:42He was also my best bud growing up.
00:45He was super smart and solved math equations in his sleep.
00:48But he was really awkward and hated outdoor activities.
00:52Come out, Fred!
00:53Look at all these butterflies coming out of their raccoons!
00:56It's cocoons and no thank you.
00:58You know they start off as icky caterpillars, right?
01:02Quit being such a party pooper and come play with me!
01:05But Fred just stayed inside.
01:07I chased the butterflies and didn't realize when I ended up rather far from home.
01:11I was about to find my way back when suddenly this weird woman came out of nowhere and started showering me with kisses.
01:18Ew! Get your germy lips off of me!
01:21I'm warning you! I know kung fu!
01:24Serena! I'm your aunt!
01:26I know your real mother.
01:28She wants to meet you at the ice cream shop.
01:30My what now?
01:31I didn't really care about finding my real family.
01:34I was happy with the one I had.
01:36But since ice cream was involved, I was suddenly curious.
01:40I was about to get into her van when suddenly a couple of police cars came screeching to a stop before us and the officers arrested my aunt.
01:48They took me to the station with them and moments later mom and dad came running in and hugged me super tight.
01:55Oh Serena, thank god you're safe.
01:57You can't go so far from home.
02:00That woman is a kidnapper the police have been trying to catch.
02:03She works at the adoption agency and picks up adopted kids for ransom money.
02:07Luckily they caught her in time.
02:09Whoa!
02:09The psycho woman was jailed for 25 years.
02:13But from that day on, my parents were attached to me like my shadow and treated me like a porcelain doll.
02:19They wrapped me up in bubble wrap when I wanted to jump on the trampoline.
02:23They put me on a baby leash when we went out in public.
02:26They even missed Fred's science fairs and chess matches because they couldn't trust anyone to babysit me.
02:31You only have yourself to blame.
02:33Who's dumb enough to just walk off with a random stranger?
02:36Me, of course.
02:38I was nothing special.
02:39I had no brains and no passion.
02:41Most of the time, I felt a little lost.
02:44But one day, I saw this 16-year-old Russian swimmer Mariana win a gold medal on TV.
02:49And my whole life changed.
02:52I had posters of her all over my room and even bought all of her merchandise.
02:56I was obsessed.
02:58I want to be just like Mariana.
03:00She's a year older than me and she's achieved so much.
03:04But swimming is dangerous, sweetie.
03:06You could slip and hit your head.
03:08I could do that in the kitchen, too.
03:10We should baby-proof the kitchen.
03:12What?
03:12No, I'm not a baby.
03:14Please, will you just let me try something for once?
03:17I'm sick of staying at home.
03:18I begged and whined and threw a couple of tantrums.
03:22And finally, they agreed to take me to a kiddie pool.
03:26Whatever.
03:27I was determined to make the best of it.
03:29And when I entered the water, it felt like I was finally in my element.
03:34I aced all the lessons and turned out to be a natural.
03:37Within a year, I joined the high school swim team and even won a local competition.
03:42And mom and dad finally stopped freaking out like headless chickens.
03:45Then I started 10th grade and things just went bonkers.
03:49On the very first day, I was rushing to the shower when I slipped and went crashing into
03:54a girl.
03:55I am so sorry.
03:56Oh.
03:57My.
03:58God.
03:59What?
03:59You're Mariana.
04:00Am I dreaming?
04:01Ouch!
04:02This is definitely real.
04:04I am such a huge fan.
04:06Oh, really?
04:07Is that why you tried to injure me?
04:09What?
04:09I...
04:10It was an accident.
04:11Ha!
04:11I doubt it.
04:12I eat jealous little wannabes like you for breakfast.
04:16Now, stay out of my way or I'll crush you.
04:19What a diva!
04:21I found out from the head coach that Mariana was recovering from an injury at the local
04:25state-of-the-art medical center and would be attending our high school while she was
04:29here.
04:29Just my luck.
04:31The universe sent my idol to my school and she already hates me.
04:35I tried to do damage control and got her some welcome flowers and cheesecake, but she
04:39started sneezing and gagging and threw everything in the trash.
04:43Are you trying to sabotage me?
04:45I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to roses.
04:48How was I supposed to know that?
04:50You said you were my fan and you don't know this?
04:53Hmph.
04:54Some fan you are.
04:55I was just trying to be nice.
04:57Nice gets you nowhere.
04:59Work on your swimming instead, loser.
05:01Okay, that's enough.
05:03I know you're an international champion, but you can't treat me like this.
05:07I really admired you.
05:08But now I can see you're just a brat with a swollen head.
05:12Get over yourself.
05:14Huh.
05:14You wish you could be me.
05:16I have more talent in my injured little toe than you have in your whole entire body.
05:21You can put your entire foot in your mouth because at the next swim meet, I'm gonna beat
05:25you.
05:26I accept the challenge.
05:28Although it's hardly a challenge.
05:30Ha ha ha ha.
05:31I was pumped.
05:33I trained extra hard and spent so much time in the pool, I started looking like a wrinkly
05:37old grandma.
05:38But on the day of the swim meet, Mariana spilled an entire bottle of conditioner on
05:43me right before the start.
05:45Oops.
05:46I'm so sorry.
05:47Your skin looked like it needed it.
05:49I was fuming.
05:50I took another quick shower, but I was super late.
05:54And when the whistle blew, I was so out of it that I flopped into the water like a dying
05:58fish.
05:59I lost.
06:00Badly.
06:01And Mariana sailed through the water gracefully like a swan.
06:05But what she did next shocked the bubbly farts right out of me.
06:10Mariana stepped off the stage after taking her prize and kissed Fred.
06:14Hey, what the heck are you doing to my brother?
06:17Stand behind me, Fred.
06:18I'll protect you from this soul-sucking mermaid.
06:21Serena, Fred has told me so much about you.
06:25We met in the library the other day, and I said I was craving some Russian pastries.
06:30He got me some the very next day.
06:33Fred is a real gentleman.
06:35And you're a real lady.
06:37What was happening?
06:39Fred looked genuinely happy, but Mariana was bad news.
06:43The way she'd swam earlier, it didn't look like she was injured at all.
06:47But before I could confront her, they left.
06:50What a bunch of lovestruck jerks!
06:52I was so depressed, I spent a couple of hours at my favorite ice cream shop eating my feelings.
06:58But once the banana splits were gone, I headed home and, to my surprise, I saw Mariana across
07:03the street.
07:04She was dressed like some weird spy and went inside a dirty-looking alley.
07:08I followed her and saw that she was buying a weird packet from some homeless dude.
07:14Hey, what you got there, bestie?
07:16Did you hit your head on that dive?
07:18I am not your bestie.
07:20Is it Russian candy?
07:21Is it a wig?
07:22Or is it a whole new personality you use only when Fred's around?
07:26It's your brother's heart.
07:28And it's all mine.
07:30She was a piece of work.
07:32And super suspicious.
07:33I wanted to follow her, but I was already late.
07:36Mom and Dad would probably send a SWAT team after me.
07:39So that night, I borrowed Fred's laptop and did some research.
07:43I found a few articles about Mariana's injury.
07:45But then I found a creepy Reddit thread about athletes using performance-enhancing pills.
07:51I was shocked.
07:52Is that how Mariana had swum so well in the competition with an injury?
07:57I had to find out.
07:58But the next day, I walked into school and everyone was talking about Mariana and Fred
08:04like they were a celebrity couple.
08:06Fred, of all people, was popular.
08:09He suddenly had this confidence I'd never seen before.
08:12It was kinda awesome.
08:14But Mariana was ruining swimming for me.
08:17We've decided.
08:19I'll take your place on the swim team for regionals.
08:21What?
08:22You can't do that.
08:23You're not even a permanent student.
08:25Aren't you supposed to be injured and resting?
08:28Coach!
08:29I'm sorry, Serena.
08:30We have a chance to compete with an international gold medalist on our team.
08:34And she seems strong enough now.
08:36I was so mad, I tore up all of her posters from my room and trashed all the merchandise.
08:41All I'd wanted to be was noticed by my idol.
08:44But she just turned out to be a massive jerk.
08:47I was gonna bring her down if it was the last thing I did.
08:51Hey, Mariana told me what happened.
08:53It was really sweet of you to give her your place.
08:56She really needed this.
08:57I didn't give up anything.
08:59Your evil girlfriend pushed me out.
09:01Swimming is the only thing I'm good at.
09:03But she couldn't even let me have it.
09:05Look, I know you're hurt, but she's a good person.
09:08It's all an act.
09:10She's only pretending to be your girlfriend to get under my skin.
09:14Yes, Serena.
09:15I'm sure my relationship is all about you.
09:18Everything is always about you.
09:20The only reason a girl could want to be with me is to get back at you.
09:23Not because I have anything worth liking, right?
09:26Wow.
09:27I didn't know you were so desperate to be liked.
09:29You'll defend the devil herself.
09:31Some brother you turned out to be.
09:33I hated the look of hurt in Fred's eyes.
09:36But I was just so mad.
09:38The next day, I sneaked into the gym and went through Mariana's locker.
09:41And I found the package she'd taken from the man in the alley.
09:44And it had pills inside.
09:46I ran to the head coach and showed him everything.
09:49Mariana went ballistic.
09:51They aren't what you think.
09:52I'm not a cheat.
09:53Then explain how your injury healed so quickly.
09:56You're lying, Mariana, and I have proof.
09:59Stop this, Serena.
10:00You don't know what you're talking about.
10:02No.
10:03For once, I'm the smart one and you're being dumb.
10:06She played you with her big eyes and pretty face.
10:09She's just a cheating witch.
10:11Stop calling me that.
10:13And then she pushed me into the water.
10:15The head coach insisted on getting her tested and she went bananas.
10:19She started ripping up pool noodles with her teeth
10:21and threw swimming flippers at the students like a mad person.
10:25Two coaches had to drag her away and she was suspended during the investigation.
10:29But I wasn't even happy about it.
10:31My teammates were mad at me for being a sneak.
10:34Fred wasn't talking to me and Mariana?
10:36Mariana, all the blood work came out clear.
10:39Turns out, the pills were special Russian vitamins.
10:43But she was so messed up with all the media attention and headlines,
10:46she completely failed at the regionals.
10:48I felt like a total jerk.
10:51It was time for me to apologize.
10:53Hey, I'm sorry about the whole mix-up.
10:56As if.
10:57Your plan worked.
10:58I lost the competition and my reputation.
11:01Now you can have your perfect life back.
11:04Perfect?
11:04My life is not perfect.
11:06My adoptive family is the bomb.
11:08But I've always felt a bit lost since I was a kid.
11:11Swimming makes me feel like I belong and you took that away from me.
11:15Yes, I did.
11:16Because I'm better at it.
11:18And it's good for the team.
11:20But Fred was right.
11:21You're a selfish, spoiled brat who only thinks about herself.
11:25I was so mad, I slapped her hard across the cheek.
11:27We were rolling around on the floor fighting like cats when suddenly Fred came in between.
11:33What the heck is wrong with you two?
11:35She started it.
11:36She's always hated me.
11:38That's enough.
11:39I love you both, but this needs to stop.
11:42You... you love me?
11:44Are you okay?
11:45Do you have brain fever?
11:47Stop it, Serena.
11:48After all these years, I've taken a back seat while Mom and Dad obsessed over you.
11:53I thought you'd be okay with me being the center of attention for once.
11:56It was true.
11:58Mom and Dad always went out of their way to make me happy and keep me safe.
12:02They hardly ever talked about Fred.
12:04I was selfish and felt terrible for not realizing it before.
12:08And Mariana, you can't blame Serena for jumping to conclusions when she doesn't know the truth.
12:13What truth?
12:14Suddenly, Mariana looked so sad, it broke my heart.
12:19My family had to flee Russia.
12:21Some really bad men were after my father.
12:23And I had to fake an injury.
12:25So they would give us quick visas to come to America for my medical treatment.
12:30Now, I can never go back.
12:32And I can never swim for another country if I want to keep my family safe.
12:36That's why I wanted to be part of the swim team so badly.
12:40But that doesn't explain why you're so mean and horrible.
12:43It's all I knew.
12:44In Russia, you don't become a champion by being nice and sweet.
12:48You have to be really tough and fight for your place.
12:52It will be a hard habit to break.
12:54But I see you all as competition.
12:56Especially you.
12:57You're good.
12:58She said it reluctantly.
13:00But she said it.
13:01And I was on cloud nine.
13:04Aw, that's all I ever wanted to hear from you.
13:07Get away from me or I'll take the words back.
13:10You can't take it back now.
13:12You think I'm good.
13:13And we'll be on the same team together.
13:15It's gonna be epic.
13:17Is your sister crazy?
13:19What is wrong with her?
13:20Why is she so...
13:22Huggy?
13:23She's just really happy.
13:25And so am I.
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