Page 11 of In Too Deep

I ignore the jab.

We arrive at our positions. Taking a deep breath, I sit on my designated chair and scan the crowd. It’s huge. My nerves are getting the better of me as I jump up and down on the spot.

“Jennifer Hancock… Adelaide Swim Club.”

“Lacy LaBelle… Marion Swimming Club,” they call out next.

I rise to my feet as the crowd erupts into cheers. A grin spreads across my face—I’m lucky to have the home-crowd advantage, and I’ll take every bit of support I can get.

Waving and smiling brightly, I pull off my Marion shirt and toss it aside. Then, with steady hands, I strip down, placing my clothes neatly into the provided bins.

The adrenaline kicks in—I’m ready for the race.

“Katie Reynolds… Nunawading Swimming Club,” they announce next.

I cringe.

Katie wasn’t nice to be around four years ago. I doubt that she’s had any sort of‘nice’transplant since then.

They announce the rest of the lineup as I swing my arms, getting the blood flowing into my shoulders. I space out before recalling my mantra.

I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.

My goggles fit snugly around my eyes and pull taut onto my scalp—just the way I like it. They command us to step up to the starting block. I wait for the buzzer. My heart is pumping, the adrenaline surging. My skin prickles with excitement at the thought of hitting that water and racing.

I don’t need to come first—I just have to make sure I place for the semi. That’s my goal—push and push hard. The buzzer sounds, so I step up onto the starting block. I try to control my breathing, I don’t need to be out of breath before I hit the water.

“Take your mark.”

Bending down, I get into position and focus. Even though I’m dying to get in the water, I won’t budge until I hear that gun. A false start is unacceptable. A loud bang echoes through the centre. I leap off the starting block. I dive, staying under for as long as I can before resurfacing. I take in a short breath and then throw my arms over my head. I slam them back down into the crystal blue depths.

I move quickly and effortlessly. The thrill of being one with the water soothes my nerves. Pure determination courses through me. The wall comes up. I duck, slamming against the tiles. I dive back, swaying my body up and down in a perfect rhythm before surfacing.

Taking a breath, I raise my arms and slam them back down. They say Butterfly is the most powerful of all the swimming techniques, and I feel pretty powerful in the water at this moment. I push as my lungs burn and my muscles ache. But that match is lit once more. Now, I’m propelling through the water with even more determination. I vaguely hear the crowd cheering as I surface for each stroke. They spur me on. I glide through the beautiful, clear blue liquid, then duck and slam into the wall.

My head pops up out of the water as my lungs take in short, much-needed breaths. Perusing the display board, I find out I’ve come in second behind Katie. She’s a second off her personal best.

Panting, I smile at Katie. She tilts her head as if she knew she was going to smash me. I’m excited that I’ve made it through, but bummed I didn’t do my own PB. But still, there’s always the semis. I can do better—I still have energy reserved.

Stumbling out of the pool while taking off my caps, I mentally berate myself for not doing better.

Katie approaches me. “How’s second-best?” she sneers.

Scrunching my brows, I shake my head as I step in behind her.

“Good swim, Butterfly,” Coby chirps as he passes me on his way out for his Freestyle event.

“Good luck, Eel. Shock them out of the water,” I tease.

Coby beams. If my bathers weren’t already wet, they are now. He marches off as I stroll into the marshalling area, taking a seat. I should go and change, but I focus on Coby. Studying the television, I wait as they announce him. He takes off his shirt, revealing his well-defined abs and a strong set of shoulders. He is a spectacular vision.

They take their positions. Coby steps onto the starting block. The camera zooms in on him. I whimper. It comes out louder than I expected. I scan the room to see if anyone heard me, but luckily, everyone’s too busy getting in the zone to catch me lusting over the television screen.

“Take your mark.”

He bends down.

I wish they would get a behind view right now.

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