Dear Ethan: A Second Chance Romance

Chapter 4: Swim Team

[Pretty isn't Pretty - Olivia Rodrigo] 

*Jodie*

"I completely forgot how to speak!" I wailed to Sam as I climbed into her bed and threw my face into her pillow. She rubbed my back in soothing motions.

"He probably thinks I'm such a loser." That was so not the meet-cute I had planned out in my head.

"He does not! And look he seems...kind of shy. I'm sure he understands." She said coaxing my losery insides with her hands.

I whipped around, feeling dramatic. In the full-length mirror across the room, I could see all the black mascara running down my face.

"Will he understand that I can't speak? That I'm a mime?" I said feeling half hysterical.

Sam cracked up, her braces glinting in the light.

"And fuck Cody for springing him on me like that. He knows I'm interested." I was fuming. Cody might be taller than me now but he would always be Little Cody in my eyes. And Little Cody deserved a beating.

"He probably thought he could help speed things along by introducing the two of you. They are good friends." She said helpfully before handing me a cookie she warmed up in the microwave.

We had baked these the other day. Super gooey emergency chocolate chip cookies for heavy period days and humiliating days like today.

The best part about going to Sam's house aside from Sam was her fully stocked kitchen. Her parents always had drinks and snacks available for us. It was like paradise compared to my house where the food was always empty and my mom and Landon were never home.

I bit into it mournfully. That was not the first impression I wanted to make. "Operation MHFILWM is dead in the water." Why was pining for someone so embarrassing?

"Operation MHFILWM is just getting started. We can try again tomorrow! Come by my place in the morning and I'll do your makeup." Sam said earnestly, looking at me with her big eyes. As a certifiable artistic genius, she could do the most amazing eye looks.

And she was right. I was going to need more than mascara and lip gloss to get Ethan's attention. I needed her to transform me into a knockout. 

Fuck Amber and her long tanned legs and shampoo commercial hair. Tomorrow I was going to be ready.

-

"Okay I have some intel, are you ready?" I looked up at Sam warily. We had been trying to gather information all week but most of the tidbits we got from Stacey and Cody turned out to be duds.

"You have the floor."

"Beatrice told me that she overheard Ethan saying in English class that he's planning to join the swim team."

My ears perked up. Okay, this was valuable intel.

"Really?" We had been trying to guess all week which sports teams Ethan would join. Football was a given but girls weren't allowed. But the swim team...that was a co-ed sport. That was doable.

"Sam, thank you! You're a genius." She gave me a confused smile. "I know, but in this situation why am I a genius exactly?"

I leaned into her so no one else in the cafeteria could hear. "Because I'm going to join the swim team and seduce him," I said feeling proud. This was it. The opportunity I've been waiting for.

She looked at me in shock before letting out a nervous laugh. "What? You don't think it's brilliant?"

"But Jodie...." She said slowly, looking at me as if I had hit my head. "You don't know how to swim."

I batted her concern away. "I can learn. Teach me. And meet me after school. We're going to the mall."

We took the bus to the mall after the bell rang and immediately headed to Bikini Village. I had to make a splash and be so desirable that Ethan would realize I was the only girl for him before Amber sunk her claws into him. So far none of the other girls knew Ethan signed up for swim which worked to my advantage.

Sam held up a tiny yellow two-piece. "How about this one?" I ran to the changing room to try it out before spinning around in front of the mirror. Sam squealed when I came out.

I grinned. It was perfect.