haven’t felt in a long time. My lungs
flutter with excitement. I instinctively reach out and touch the block at the
other end of the pool, then turn around, treading water.
Lakyn reaches down, grasps my
hand and swiftly hauls me onto the cement in one powerful tug. A grin lights up
his face, and my stomach quivers. That super smile of his,
complete with dimple. The dark roots of his hair match his tan.
My knees wobble. “Thank you. But
what are you doing here? Making sure I don’t drown?”
“No, offering my congratulations.
Great work, Eloise.” Something touches his eyes, a hint of sadness maybe, like
there’s more he wants to say, but can’t.
I stand there, dripping wet, the
cement warming my feet, and he inches closer until a few centimetres separate
us. I can’t believe he’s still holding my hand. I smile uncertainly, loving the
heat radiating from his body. A red towel is slung around his neck, and his
skin glistens in the fierce sunlight.
His biceps look terrifically
strong, but it’s his eyes that hold me spellbound, and the tingling sensation
in my lips hurts after the cold water, stinging them to life.
His mouth parts again. “Have you
ever thought—?”
“The best time,” Coach says,
striding up. “I didn’t know you could swim like that. With a bit of work . . .”
My gaze swerves to the water, and
I turn, letting go of Lakyn’s hand. For some strange reason, I want to yank off
my cap, dive right back in there and wet my hair. Bathe my skin. But I hate
swimming. Hate it. Especially in competitions where I always feel like an
uncoordinated try-hard.
I can’t help the puzzlement in my
voice. “Why do I want to go swimming again?” I whisper. “That felt wonderful,
once I got past—”
“The pain,” Lakyn fills in and
then nods at Coach. I’m ushered off to one side with Lakyn’s hand pressed
against my lower back. “Others will begin in a second,” he murmurs in my ear.
“You need to move.”
Oh. OK.
But I realise I don’t say that.
My lungs allow me to breathe easily for the first time since I began using the
puffer. We weave past Ashly’s group, and I try to
ignore her catty remarks, the laughter and the taunts, “Pity she couldn’t do
that after she jumped off the cliff. She wouldn’t have ended up in hospital.”
Oath, sista .
I close my eyes and pull out my
towel from my bag to dry myself. I don’t care anymore how much anyone knows. I
want answers even if I have to wade through a few insults to get the truth.
“She’s faking it, of course.” The
accusations echo across the steel and concrete bleachers. “How convenient she
just learned to swim. Don’t you agree, Lakyn?” Ashly heads straight over to him and stands so close I swear her body rubs against
his.
Desperate much?
At her sudden frown, my heart
jolts. Snap. I actually said that one.
She turns her dark eyes on me
fully, and they’re little black pebbles. Luckily for her, I’m tired of all the
drama.
“Why don’t you go away, freak?”
she asks.
Lakyn frowns at her, his mouth
set in a thin line. “Don’t talk to Eloise like that.”
I take some consolation from the
fact he obviously doesn’t agree with her. But why does it matter what anyone
else thinks of me? If I always follow their opinion, then they own me. That
sudden spear of clarity shakes me awake.
“Whatever.” I swipe my fringe
from my eyes, grab my bag and then hurry to the change rooms before I call back
something that will start up an all-out fight. I don’t need to turn around,
because I feel the piercing glares on my back. And I just don’t need another
crisis.
Tears drip down my cheeks and
swell over my chin. They are hot after the chill of the water. I slam into the
shower stall, lock the door and then tear off my swimsuit. I can’t wait to get
the dratted thing off me. I drop the fabric to the bottom of the stall, but the
sight of the top of my hip has me gasping and lurching against the wall. No. Nooo .
Sores
flutter with excitement. I instinctively reach out and touch the block at the
other end of the pool, then turn around, treading water.
Lakyn reaches down, grasps my
hand and swiftly hauls me onto the cement in one powerful tug. A grin lights up
his face, and my stomach quivers. That super smile of his,
complete with dimple. The dark roots of his hair match his tan.
My knees wobble. “Thank you. But
what are you doing here? Making sure I don’t drown?”
“No, offering my congratulations.
Great work, Eloise.” Something touches his eyes, a hint of sadness maybe, like
there’s more he wants to say, but can’t.
I stand there, dripping wet, the
cement warming my feet, and he inches closer until a few centimetres separate
us. I can’t believe he’s still holding my hand. I smile uncertainly, loving the
heat radiating from his body. A red towel is slung around his neck, and his
skin glistens in the fierce sunlight.
His biceps look terrifically
strong, but it’s his eyes that hold me spellbound, and the tingling sensation
in my lips hurts after the cold water, stinging them to life.
His mouth parts again. “Have you
ever thought—?”
“The best time,” Coach says,
striding up. “I didn’t know you could swim like that. With a bit of work . . .”
My gaze swerves to the water, and
I turn, letting go of Lakyn’s hand. For some strange reason, I want to yank off
my cap, dive right back in there and wet my hair. Bathe my skin. But I hate
swimming. Hate it. Especially in competitions where I always feel like an
uncoordinated try-hard.
I can’t help the puzzlement in my
voice. “Why do I want to go swimming again?” I whisper. “That felt wonderful,
once I got past—”
“The pain,” Lakyn fills in and
then nods at Coach. I’m ushered off to one side with Lakyn’s hand pressed
against my lower back. “Others will begin in a second,” he murmurs in my ear.
“You need to move.”
Oh. OK.
But I realise I don’t say that.
My lungs allow me to breathe easily for the first time since I began using the
puffer. We weave past Ashly’s group, and I try to
ignore her catty remarks, the laughter and the taunts, “Pity she couldn’t do
that after she jumped off the cliff. She wouldn’t have ended up in hospital.”
Oath, sista .
I close my eyes and pull out my
towel from my bag to dry myself. I don’t care anymore how much anyone knows. I
want answers even if I have to wade through a few insults to get the truth.
“She’s faking it, of course.” The
accusations echo across the steel and concrete bleachers. “How convenient she
just learned to swim. Don’t you agree, Lakyn?” Ashly heads straight over to him and stands so close I swear her body rubs against
his.
Desperate much?
At her sudden frown, my heart
jolts. Snap. I actually said that one.
She turns her dark eyes on me
fully, and they’re little black pebbles. Luckily for her, I’m tired of all the
drama.
“Why don’t you go away, freak?”
she asks.
Lakyn frowns at her, his mouth
set in a thin line. “Don’t talk to Eloise like that.”
I take some consolation from the
fact he obviously doesn’t agree with her. But why does it matter what anyone
else thinks of me? If I always follow their opinion, then they own me. That
sudden spear of clarity shakes me awake.
“Whatever.” I swipe my fringe
from my eyes, grab my bag and then hurry to the change rooms before I call back
something that will start up an all-out fight. I don’t need to turn around,
because I feel the piercing glares on my back. And I just don’t need another
crisis.
Tears drip down my cheeks and
swell over my chin. They are hot after the chill of the water. I slam into the
shower stall, lock the door and then tear off my swimsuit. I can’t wait to get
the dratted thing off me. I drop the fabric to the bottom of the stall, but the
sight of the top of my hip has me gasping and lurching against the wall. No. Nooo .
Sores
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