Chapter 32: Distraction
"I-I—"
"So what if that’s her reason?" My attention went to Ericka after she said that. "What? Are you afraid that Noelle might beat your record again?" I didn’t understand why Ericka said the word ’again’. When I looked at the girl with the cross arms, I realized. She’s that girl back in middle school, the one who competed with me in that same competition.
"Wow. Tell that to me if you became one of the best swimmers on this team, Ericka."
"Okay, okay! Let’s stop there." The coach stopped those two before they could even fight. "What kind of disciplined athletes you all are when you’re fighting over something ridiculous in front of your coach?"
"Sorry coach," Ericka said.
"What about you, Leslie?"
That’s right! I remember, her name is Leslie Domingo.
"Sorry, coach." Leslie apologized too.
Coach Samantha clapped her hand. "Very well. After you finish stretching, get in the water to warm up." She said, and we followed her instructions.
"Are you okay?" I felt Ericka’s hand on my shoulder. "Don’t mind what Leslie said. She’s just jealous of your talents." To be honest, it didn’t bother me at all because it’s true.
"What she said was true." Ericka became silent after I said that. "I don’t lie about what I did, but I know it was a poor decision." I laughed. What I need is to make everything right to improve my life. Not just for me, but also for my parents. Starting from this point, I’ll be someone better.
After stretching again, Ericka and I got onto the pool and it was weird. It’s been so long since I came to the school’s pool. I feel all jittery inside. I think I’m being too emotional; I feel like I want to cry. "Are you okay?" Ericka noticed I became quiet as soon as we got into the pool. "You’re not regretting joining, are you?"
I giggled. "Of course not." What I think is I might regret it if I didn’t join.
"Do the pre-set after warm-up."
My body remembers everything despite not doing it for two and a half years. "Wow, you’re fantastic at everything. But I love your butterfly form the most." Ericka complimented me after we finished our pre-sets.
The pre-set coach Samantha gave me differs from the others. Some only focus on the backstroke. Only a few do butterfly. But for me, I did it all. ’Not to brag, but even if it’s been so long I still finished everything.’
"As expected. I think your best form is the butterfly." Coach Samantha said while clapping. "You should train with Leslie, you’re both good at the butterfly." She said causing me to feel that immense stare from Leslie again.
"Let’s take a quick break. The primary sets will follow after this."
I heard my teammates screaming when I got off the pool. "Oh god! It’s Night Fuentes!" One of them said, and just by hearing Night’s name my automatic response was to look away. I used to follow him with my gaze, but not anymore.
"Whoa, he’s really good-looking," Ericka said while wiping her face. "You’re not looking at Night? I think he’s here because they’re doing research about the swimming team." She said.
’Why would I care?’
I drank my water as I removed my head cap. "If I look at him, I’ll lose focus." I lied, but Ericka saw this as a chance to tease me.
She poked my sides making me spit out my water. "You’re so in love with him." Ericka giggled. "If the guy I like is as good-looking as Night, I might also leave the swimming team." My forehead creased after she said that. Does Ericka like someone? "I’m just kidding." She pinched my cheeks after saying that and immediately made me turn around.
"Look! He’s sitting on the bleachers with his classmates." I was forced to look in Night’s direction. He’s wearing that glasses of his and has this tidy look. Compare to how I see him every day, this looks so fake that it makes me want to grimace whenever I stare at him. "It’ll boost your motivation, right?" I let out a fake laugh.
"It’ll sure do." Tsk, why is Night here anyway? Why would they do research about the swimming team? He could have done it before, so why now that I’m here? "I’ll go back to the pool and start my primary sets."
"Eh? Already? Are you in a rush or something?"
"I am." I need to finish fast to attend my bridal lessons earlier. Thinking about how Tomoe will scold me already exhausts me. ’I can’t afford distractions.’
"Okay, but be careful. It’s been so long since you last went swimming. You might get cramps if you overdo it." I nodded with Ericka’s reminder.
I raised my hand. "Coach!" Coach Samantha turned to me. "May I start my primary sets now?"
Coach Samantha smiled widely. "Of course. Here I’ll time you." She said and I stretched my neck again. "And go!" I swam like how I normally did before. It’s time to pass my records again.
"You’re doing great. Keep it up!" I heard the coach’s voice reminding me. Does it make me a mermaid if I say that I am more relaxed when I’m in water than I am on the land? "There you go!" I finished the second to the last set I have and I saw how proud coach Samantha is.
"You’re really a beast— I mean a mermaid."
I laughed but I felt pain in my sides. It’s like something’s stabbing my lungs and it’s getting harder to breathe. "Are you okay? Do you need to take a break?" I shook my head. "That’s the spirit. Ericka, take over here for me please." Coach Samantha gave Ericka the timer. Ericka’s also good, she finished her sets and only has three more.
"Are you ready?"
Before I could nod, I heard girls’ loud voices on the bleachers which caught my attention. There I saw Bethany Vargas. I remember competing with her for Night’s attention, and she always hated me because of how open I am with my feelings for Night. Her voice is too loud that it’s echoing throughout the indoor pool.
"Those people should really learn how to shut up," Ericka muttered with an expression I haven’t seen before. I-Is she mad? "This is our sacred place for training yet they disturb us and act all jolly as if it’s nothing. They’re shameless." She added while clicking her tongue.
Is she talking about how Bethany kept on squealing while we were training? Some of our members squealed, but that was when we were on our break. No one’s paying attention to Night now, except for his classmates.
"They’re not even watching the swimming team? What do they mean research?" It’s scary that I can hear all her thoughts about those people. It made me look in their direction, and I saw that Kaoru was trying his best to keep his distance from Night. As he should.
’Wait! This is not the time to be distracted.’
"Ericka?"
It’s as if she came back to reality, she put a smile on her face and turned to me. "Are you ready now?" I nodded as I got up from the pool and was ready to dive again. It’ll probably best not to ask her if she’s annoyed because kind and cheerful people are terrifying when they get angry.
"Ready... set... and go!" I dived into the pool and swam like my life depended on it.
"That’s great! You’re doing great!"
I heard Ericka’s cheers and it made me swim faster. "Only two laps left! You can do this Noelle." I know that taking a break is better, but I’m getting near and after this, I’ll be done.
Right when I arrived in the middle, I felt something weird in my foot. That foot that got injured by broken glass, it’s starting to act up making me stop swimming. I tried to swim up and get some air, but I kept falling into the water. ’Am I seriously getting cramps right now?’ I thought as I struggled to get some air, but I couldn’t.
I can only hear their voices, but I don’t understand what they’re saying. ’Shoot, I’m losing consciousness.’ That’s when I started hearing something ring in my right ear making me wince. I must at least make it easier for Ericka to help me.
No matter how much I try to swim up, my leg won’t move and I’m losing air. What am I doing? I should have listened to Ericka, I know that when I feel that it’s getting harder to breathe, I am surely pushing myself, but I ignored it.
I ignored my feelings again.
"Noelle!"
My eyes are starting to close when I saw a silhouette of a person diving into the pool and trying to reach me. I can’t recognize who it is. They grabbed my hand and pulled me upwards until I can breathe again.
"Pull yourself together!"
