Ocean Eyes

Chapter - 14

After all the excitement from Tae coming in first winds down.. they found out they have a short break before the next match.

"Good job everyone." Professor Itthipat Smiled, "Now that the competition has thinned out, they'll be running the rest of the races simultaneously."

"When will they start?" Mew asked, looking anxious.

"I'd say you still have about fifteen minutes or so. Just to be safe, get to your starting positions early. Tae and Tul will be on the north end. Mew and Bright will be on the south." Professor Itthipat said looking at the participants list. "Earth, scout out a good seat for us to spectate both races at the same time. I'd like to speak with the record keepers to get a copy of everything."

Earth nodded his head, "You can count on me!"

"I'm going for a walk. I'll see you all on the other side." Tae said, walking away from there.

Out of habit, Mew started pacing back and forth. He was feeling a strange mix of nervousness and excitement. 'I need to do something with this extra energy. Pacing back and forth will only get me so far.' Mew thought and sighed.

Upon seeing Mew's distressed face Tul and Bright approached him. "The pool isn't going anywhere. It'll still be there, no matter how much you pace." Bright's voice startled Mew. He stopped and looked at Bright and Tul in surprise.

"I didn't think my worry was that obvious." Mew sighed.

"You always pace like this when you're worried." Bright replied and Tul hands him a bottle of water. "Relax, we've got you. I'll be right beside you in the race, remember? You're not alone." Bright cheered him up. Mew took a grateful sip of water. "Thanks, Bright."

"Why don't you get a head start on your warm-ups?" Tul said, knowing that the other was still agitated.

"But I did them before qualifiers." Mew frowned.

"You look like you could use a few extra minutes to yourself." Tul replied with a smile.

"Go on, I'll let everyone know where you are." Bright nudged him.

Mew looked at Bright and Tul, thankful for having such supportive friends in his life. "Thank you.. I'll see you guys after the races."

He found an empty lane and did a few quick laps. Just as Tul predicted, Mew was much calmer by the time the race was set to begin. 'I'll have to thank him properly later by winning this race!' Mew thought, getting ready for his race.

Mew knew Earth and Professor Itthipat are cheering for everyone from the bleachers. He tried to pick out their voices, but he couldn't distinguish them from the roar of the crowd. Instead, he focused on the shimmering water in front of him as he took his place. 'We've made it this far - I can't lose now!' Mew thought as he heard the starting pistol go off. The world disappeared around him as he dived into the pool.

The muffled cheers from under the water are almost calming. He got into the zone and focused on his goal. From his peripheral vision, Mew could see Bright pulling ahead of him slightly. But knowing that they're so close to each other made Mew push himself harder.

He was almost light-headed with excitement when his fingers hit the edge of the pool at the end of the race. 'That felt like one of the best laps I've ever swam in my life!' Mew thought in glee.

"How'd I do?!" Mew nearly ripped the goggles off his face to look at the scoreboard. The numbers were still rolling in, and he held his breath as he waited for them to be finalized. In the end, he was placed third. 'No way.. There must be some mistake..'