this—bury my head underwater—not again. Never
again. I should have told Coach Williams at the start, but I hurry
toward him now only to find he’s laughing with Lakyn, both of them obviously
having the time of their lives.
“Coach,” I interrupt. “Can I
please try this another day? I don’t feel well.”
He frowns and opens his mouth to
speak to me, but Lakyn beats him to it. “That’s normal. Don’t be a quitter.
Have a go.” Lakyn flashes his killer smile and dimple. “It’s important for you
that you do this. You have to learn as quickly as you can.”
Oh no, he didn’t. I glare
daggers. I’m not normally an aggressive person, but I hate being a doormat.
Does he get to say what happens with students? Who died and . . . oh wait . . .
I close my eyes.
Coach says, “That’s right,
Eloise. You’re going to have to get back in the water sometime. Right now is
perfect.”
I clench my hands into fists, and
pivot, my jaw working. With my arms wrapped around my middle, and chin to my
chest, I stalk toward the blocks at the end of the pool. Waiting there, I
ignore all the stares from students, step up on the nearest block and then bend
forward. I glare down at the awaiting ripples of blue as though the water is
the cause of all my problems.
Bang!
I let go of the block. The other
girls dive into the water, splash around, swim, but my knees lock. A tremble
reverberates up my arms and legs. Everyone will be staring. I have to do this.
With a spurt of courage, I push off with my legs, smashing into the water
belly-flop first.
Water streams into my mouth and
nose, tasting intensely salty and burning my sinuses. I lift my arms in the
accepted freestyle stroke, but it feels all wrong and I can hear the laughter
from the bleachers.
I gulp in water and sink. Deeper
and deeper, I go. The tiles at the bottom are white and uniform, though the
cold water feels divine against my skin. Suddenly, my back bows, and a scream
rips from my throat. Bubbles stream out all around me until the foam clouds my
vision. I hold my breath so I can see and won’t take in anymore water, but my
lungs shake in desperation. I think of getting out the pool to grab the puffer.
No. No. Everyone will see.
Oh, God.
Bones begin to realign in my
chest, and pain becomes my old friend. Closer than breath.
Ribs crack, cave, and I’m sure
I’m going to die. Right here, right now. I curl up in a ball on the bottom of
the pool. Water undulates above me, revealing bright blue board shorts at the
edge. Lakyn. Waiting to rescue the
drowning girl.
Come on, Ellie, Dad’s
voice shouts in my ear. Fight. I need to kick. Swim to the surface. But
I have no choice other than to go along with my body, even though I have no
idea where it will lead me. I must kick, kick, and then . . . my knees loosen,
as do my lungs. A popping sensation echoes cap, cap, cap in the back of
my neck and up behind my ears. A shuddering thrill races from my fingertips to
my toes and my spine sparks with fire.
I’m swimming. Finally. I turn to the white end of the pool. Wait, I tell my body. Where am I? I feel
as if I’ve just woken up in the middle of the day, thinking it’s morning.
The urge to swim overpowers me,
forcing my hips to shift from side to side, and I bring my head up to the
surface and suck in a lungful of sweet oxygen. My ribs hurt. Again,
again. Go back into the water. I release the edge, wanting to
bathe in the depths.
Coach clicks the stopwatch around
his neck. “Twenty-nine seconds,” he says over the sound of the water lapping my
ears. “You’re behind everyone else for freestyle. Show me your backstroke.”
I grasp the metal bar on my side
and throw myself backward. I twist my hips from side to side and roll in the
water.
Blue sky smiles back me, and the
gliding water along my body is wonderful. I hum and hold down my arms by my
sides and kick, kick, kick. I don’t see any splashes, but pure tears of
happiness leak from my eyes. Something I
again. I should have told Coach Williams at the start, but I hurry
toward him now only to find he’s laughing with Lakyn, both of them obviously
having the time of their lives.
“Coach,” I interrupt. “Can I
please try this another day? I don’t feel well.”
He frowns and opens his mouth to
speak to me, but Lakyn beats him to it. “That’s normal. Don’t be a quitter.
Have a go.” Lakyn flashes his killer smile and dimple. “It’s important for you
that you do this. You have to learn as quickly as you can.”
Oh no, he didn’t. I glare
daggers. I’m not normally an aggressive person, but I hate being a doormat.
Does he get to say what happens with students? Who died and . . . oh wait . . .
I close my eyes.
Coach says, “That’s right,
Eloise. You’re going to have to get back in the water sometime. Right now is
perfect.”
I clench my hands into fists, and
pivot, my jaw working. With my arms wrapped around my middle, and chin to my
chest, I stalk toward the blocks at the end of the pool. Waiting there, I
ignore all the stares from students, step up on the nearest block and then bend
forward. I glare down at the awaiting ripples of blue as though the water is
the cause of all my problems.
Bang!
I let go of the block. The other
girls dive into the water, splash around, swim, but my knees lock. A tremble
reverberates up my arms and legs. Everyone will be staring. I have to do this.
With a spurt of courage, I push off with my legs, smashing into the water
belly-flop first.
Water streams into my mouth and
nose, tasting intensely salty and burning my sinuses. I lift my arms in the
accepted freestyle stroke, but it feels all wrong and I can hear the laughter
from the bleachers.
I gulp in water and sink. Deeper
and deeper, I go. The tiles at the bottom are white and uniform, though the
cold water feels divine against my skin. Suddenly, my back bows, and a scream
rips from my throat. Bubbles stream out all around me until the foam clouds my
vision. I hold my breath so I can see and won’t take in anymore water, but my
lungs shake in desperation. I think of getting out the pool to grab the puffer.
No. No. Everyone will see.
Oh, God.
Bones begin to realign in my
chest, and pain becomes my old friend. Closer than breath.
Ribs crack, cave, and I’m sure
I’m going to die. Right here, right now. I curl up in a ball on the bottom of
the pool. Water undulates above me, revealing bright blue board shorts at the
edge. Lakyn. Waiting to rescue the
drowning girl.
Come on, Ellie, Dad’s
voice shouts in my ear. Fight. I need to kick. Swim to the surface. But
I have no choice other than to go along with my body, even though I have no
idea where it will lead me. I must kick, kick, and then . . . my knees loosen,
as do my lungs. A popping sensation echoes cap, cap, cap in the back of
my neck and up behind my ears. A shuddering thrill races from my fingertips to
my toes and my spine sparks with fire.
I’m swimming. Finally. I turn to the white end of the pool. Wait, I tell my body. Where am I? I feel
as if I’ve just woken up in the middle of the day, thinking it’s morning.
The urge to swim overpowers me,
forcing my hips to shift from side to side, and I bring my head up to the
surface and suck in a lungful of sweet oxygen. My ribs hurt. Again,
again. Go back into the water. I release the edge, wanting to
bathe in the depths.
Coach clicks the stopwatch around
his neck. “Twenty-nine seconds,” he says over the sound of the water lapping my
ears. “You’re behind everyone else for freestyle. Show me your backstroke.”
I grasp the metal bar on my side
and throw myself backward. I twist my hips from side to side and roll in the
water.
Blue sky smiles back me, and the
gliding water along my body is wonderful. I hum and hold down my arms by my
sides and kick, kick, kick. I don’t see any splashes, but pure tears of
happiness leak from my eyes. Something I
Similar Books
