A Drop In The Lake

what makes rowing, rowing

Alessa

This is what makes rowing, rowing. The commands of coxswains echo across the loading bay and lake. Appreciative mumbles bandaging the pain of the sport. Everything is just so free. The community that rowing creates is what has kept me here because even though the people that participate in on-campus sports see us as aliens, we are so much more than that. We are colonisers, wiping the floor at races and celebrating in humble glory.

"I need four rowers on the 'She'!" Announces Mary.

"I'll help!" I call back, running over to Mary.

"Danni, Hood and Dana, can you get hands on?" Questions Mary, looking over to the three idoling rowers.

"Got it!" Clips Hood.

"Yeah." Mumble Danni and Dana.

"Okay. Stand on the side closest to the boat house." Commands Mary, pointing to the starboard side of the boat.

"Hands on! Up to waste, ready? Up! Jack, can you move that sling?" Orchestrates Mary.

"Yup!" Rings Jack, shuffling the sling away from the boat.

"Up and over heads! Ready? Up!" Continues Mary, grabbing onto the stern of the boat.

"Heads!" Mary yells at the group of rowers standing right in front of the bay door.

"Jack, can you get the bow?" I whisper, grunting slightly at the weight of the boat on my shoulder.

Jack replies with an enthusiastic nod and runs to grab the bow ball before it swings into the misplaced group of rowers. We slowly walk the boat, bobbing up and down on our shoulders, into the boat house and lower it onto the pulled out racks on the left side.

"Down to waist, down! Move it onto the racks and come under to the port side to push the racks in. Then help put away buckets and sponges!" Commands Mary, moving to the back of the boat house to ensure her cox-box is plugged in.

"Ale." Comes Cameron's exhausted voice.

"What's up?" I chip, walking over to the wall of cubbies to grab my water bottle.

"Do you know if coach Middleton wants the towels brought to the cage to be washed or if we can just leave them here?"

"We can leave them here. We're gonna have to wash the boats again after Sunday's race so I'll bring them back after then." I reply in a smiley tone.

"Okay."

"Oh and could you close and lock the bay door?"

"Yeah." He replies, moving past me to grab his stuff and towards the bay door.

The whole team herds out the boat house door and towards the waiting bus. We only had to take one large bus today because the novices didn't have practice, so it's party time on the varsity bus!

"Can we sit together on the bus?" Questions Cameron, running to catch up with me and the rest of the group.

" Yeah, sure." I smile.

On the way back to campus, Cameron and I talk about nothing and everything; his rowdy childhood, my monotone lifestyle, and my vivacious mother. When the bus pulls up to the dining hall, we all herd out of the accordion doors and into the buffet style can, grabbing at everything and ladling it onto our trays like a starving lion. Me, Dana, Dani, Brook, and Mary huddle around a table at the far end of the dining hall and discuss our plans for the remainder of the night. By the time we all mope out of the dining hall we're laced with excitement for our group study session in the library.

Study hall starts at eight o'clock, and while I don't have much to do in terms of school work, I have college applications to finalize.
Over the summer I was able to write my personal college essay. It may not sound like the most thrilling use of my time, but it was so worth it.

When I trudge into the room, Dana trailing behind me, I shrug off my drawstring bag and head for the showers. Ten minutes later I'm strutting out of the bathroom and back into my dorm room, whisking my hair into a sopping wet mess of a bun, and exchanging my towel for an oversized rowing hoodie and elegantly stained sweats.

"Can we stop by the science building before we head to Anderson Hall? I need to pick up my graded lab." Asks Dana, stuffing her computer into her comically oversized backpack.

"Of course. And we can check in at the library." I offer, slinging my relatively empty backpack over my shoulder.

At Harvey Cedars High School we use an online check in system that lets your dorm supervisors know where we are at all times. Usually, we have to check in face-to-face before and after study hall, but as seniors we get the privilege of simply changing our location via our phones. It's pretty sweet.

Dana and I walk out of the dorm, locking the door behind us, and each grab a pair of slides before heading down the stairs. No teachers or... boys *cough* Cameron *cough* to impress.

"Do you have a lot to do tonight?" I ask Dana as we walk out of the heavy glass doors to the dorm.

"Not a lot. Mainly just emailing a few teachers and finishing up my bio homework, but I do need to submit my application for Columbia tonight." Replies Dana nonchalantly.

"Wow. Columbia. That's a big deal." I add sincerely.

"Yeah, but it's a dream school, so I gotta shoot my shot." She shrugs.

"Yeah," I sigh. "So it begins. The race for securing a future."

"Yeah." Chuckles Dana.

We shuffle to the Science Center, the breeze of summer and the buzz of lamps clipping into our casual conversation. When Dana returns from the Science Center, paper in hand, we both make our way to Anderson Hall, checking in upon entrance.

I notice Dani and Brook sitting in plush armchairs, each sporting a similar dress down wardrobe as Dana and I.

"Ladies!" Calls Tony from a nearby table.

"Shh!" Replies the librarian from behind her computer.

Chuckling, I reply, "Is Mary on her way?"

"Yeah, she'll be here in ten, she said she wanted to give her mom a call before her surgery tomorrow." Supplies Brook.
"Oh yeah. God, that's gotta be nerve racking." I add sincerely.

We all exchange a quick glance and then quickly change the subject.

"So before he gets here, you wanna tell me what you and Cam talked about Friday night because 'I'm too tired to talk' is not an excuse anymore." Sasses Brook.

At Brook's question, Tony's posture perks up.

He's coming?

Brook gives me a firm stare before I concede in responding, "We talked about Rhea."

We all go silent, each of our faces taking on a different form of sorrow.

"Shit, Ale. I had no idea." Follows Brook, looking to recover from the stiff atmosphere.

"It's fine. We just talked about real shit." I add, unable to lie.

Tony clears his throat, springing us all into action. I quickly take a seat next to Brook, pulling my laptop out of my backpack and pulling up my common application portal. Mary sneaks in at about eight thirty, and lucky for me, she comes with Cameron in tow.

Fuck is this gonna be weird. Yah know, maybe he won't notice me if I stare at my laptop harder.
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Hello, so this ain't really anything (hope you liked today's chapter) but imma be uploading another chapter later today to go over a bit of the technical side of rowing cause some future chapters are gonna be very rowing focused and term heavy.