This was it. It was the state championship for swimming. Sophie had been busting her butt all season to get to this point.
The event was all day. Half the school had shown up, including her friends. It was the first time the swim team made state in the past five years. She was determined to place.
As she made her way to the pool she needed, she glanced around her. It was quite daunting to be around so many people watching her. Staring at her. Her heart picked up pace.
At least she had the adrenaline pumping through her already. That was going to make life a little easier.
As she climbed up onto the block, there were tons of people cheering. Some for her. Some for the other schools.
She drowned it all out when she heard the whistle. Nothing mattered anymore. She dived into the water and focused on her strokes and keeping her breathing paced.
By the time she was done with her first relay, the chills she had worn off. She had become acclimated to the cold water and had been working enough to warm up.
The next two relays went smoothly. By the end of the fourth one, she was ready to be done. Her muscles ached, and exhaustion was setting in. She was also starving.
They had little stations with snacks and water, along with bringing some of her own. But eating crackers that were soggy from just getting out of the pool wasn't the most apatizing thing in the world.
Sophie passed by her friends as she tried to hurry to the next pool she had to be at. They started hooping and hollering at her. She managed to smile and wave at them. Edaline threw something at her. She caught it and-
A granola bar! A life saver. She shoved it in her mouth, hurrying across the aquatics facility.
Two more. Just two more rounds, and it was over. She hadn't even thought about what she was placed at the moment, but she'd deal with that later.
Coming up on her last round, Sophie was ready to collapse onto the floor. Still, she climbed up onto the block.
Her arms were ready to give out on her. That was, of course, until she saw that one of the girls was ahead of her by several feet. That gave her the motivation to push through.
She swam as fast as she could. When she got to the edge of the pool, she flipped around and repeated.
She was the first one out of the pool.
Sophie stumbled over to her friends to sit down with them. Everyone started to congratulate her and tell her how good she did.
Now that she wasn't constantly moving about, the cool air was finally getting to her. Her chilled her soaked frame.
Keefe saw her shivering and grabbed her towel to wrap it around her shoulders. She couldn’t help but lean into his warmth, laying her head onto his shoulder.
She could feel her their other friends staring at her. She chose to ignore it for the time being. They would have to figure it out eventually. Plus, she was pretty sure they had all caught on at this point, they weren't exactly the best at being slick. Their friends were just waiting on some solid proof.
Finally, it was time to announce the winners. Sophie was in the edge if her seat the entire time, waiting to see who would be called.
Finally, the intercom announced, 'The third place overall state champion is... Sophie Elizabeth Foster!'
The people from her school started screaming. Her friend jostled her around, shaking her shoulders.
She went up to collect her trophy and have her picture taken. She ran back down to where her friends were celebrating.
Keefe got to her first. He caught her when her feet skidded in a puddle. That's what she got for running by a pool.
What she didn't expect was for him to lean in close, tuck a soggy strand of hair that escaped from her swim cap behind her ear, and kiss her. In front of all of their friends. And her parents. And the school. And other schools.
That was one way to tell people, at least.
She didn't mind. For the moment. She would probably end up embarrassed later, but the adrenaline from the swim competitions, and winning, and the fact he was kissing her, drowned all of that for the time being.
She pulled away from him and dared a peak at their friends. Them seem slightly surprised, but not necessarily shocked. Dex had the smuggest grin on his face.
Keefe's smirk was downright evil as he pointed between Dex and Biana, wiggling his eyebrows, and making smoochy noises.
Dex turned the same shade as a fire engine, while Biana's eyes went wide. Sophie couldn't help the snort that escaped her nose. Fitz, Tam, and Linh were able to be heard snickering.
Keefe turned back to her. "Do you think he'll ever learn?" he questioned.
She shrugged. "Honestly, at least until they get together, probably not."
YOU ARE READING
Broken Heart/Broken Mind
Random(Human AU) Sophie and Keefe met in the children's hospital when they were little. Because of how long they were confined to the four walls of the hospital, they became very close during their stay. As the years pass, they wind up being in the same c...
