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
in that sa competition.
"Wow. Tell that to
if you beca one of the best swimrs 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 sothing ridiculous in front of your coach?"
"Sorry coach," Ericka said.
"What about you, Leslie?"
That’s right! I rember, her na 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
at all because it’s true.
"What she said was true." Ericka beca 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 , but also for my parents. Starting from this point, I’ll be soone better.
After stretching again, Ericka and I got onto the pool and it was weird. It’s been so long since I ca 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 beca 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 rembers 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 complinted
after we finished our pre-sets.
The pre-set coach Samantha gave
differs from the others. So only focus on the backstroke. Only a few do butterfly. But for , 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
to feel that imnse 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 na 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 .
She poked my sides making
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 soone? "I’m just kidding." She pinched my cheeks after saying that and imdiately made
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
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 sothing?"
"I am." I need to finish fast to attend my bridal lessons earlier. Thinking about how Tomoe will scold
already exhausts . ’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 . "May I start my primary sets now?"
Coach Samantha smiled widely. "Of course. Here I’ll ti you." She said and I stretched my neck again. "And go!" I swam like how I normally did before. It’s ti to pass my records again.
"You’re doing great. Keep it up!" I heard the coach’s voice reminding . Does it make
a rmaid 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 an a rmaid."
I laughed but I felt pain in my sides. It’s like sothing’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
please." Coach Samantha gave Ericka the tir. 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 rember competing with her for Night’s attention, and she always hated
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 shaless." She added while clicking her tongue.
Is she talking about how Bethany kept on squealing while we were training? So of our mbers 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 an research?" It’s scary that I can hear all her thoughts about those people. It made
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 ti to be distracted.’
"Ericka?"
It’s as if she ca back to reality, she put a smile on her face and turned to . "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
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 sothing weird in my foot. That foot that got injured by broken glass, it’s starting to act up making
stop swimming. I tried to swim up and get so air, but I kept falling into the water. ’Am I seriously getting cramps right now?’ I thought as I struggled to get so 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 sothing ring in my right ear making
wince. I must at least make it easier for Ericka to help .
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 . I can’t recognize who it is. They grabbed my hand and pulled
upwards until I can breathe again.
"Pull yourself together!"
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