Drowning With You

CH. 29 💋

LOUIE'S POV

It's been two weeks since Winter cornered me in the locker room. I have no idea how I lied about not liking her like that. Not loving whenever she is around or when she touches me or when she just talks.

My life became something more than just random parties and trying to rush through life and school so I could graduate and leave.

It became smiles and laughs with a gorgeous girl who makes me want to enjoy the time I have left here. I'm afraid of what happens after this. After we leave.

We decided not to think about it, but I know we are both wondering what we are going to do. I don't want to ever separate but what other ideas do we have?

Move to wherever one of us lands? Change the direction of where our life goes so that we can be together? Try long distance? There are so many different choices and I know we have the determination to make them work, I just worry I'll disappoint her somehow.

Nobody knows about us, although there hasn't even been much time to really do anything since it's finals week, which the school has moved a couple weeks before graduation. I guess they want us to figure out our lives after that, so most classes will turn into future building lessons.

Last week was all studying, this week is all tests.

Of course we have been able to sneak in time to hang out, though most of it has been studying together while drinking energy drinks.

Well, I'm drinking energy drinks, she's drinking a smoothie, since she insists it's healthier. While I'm working with her to challenge the thought of avoiding everything"unhealthy," this is a valid one.

I've been making sure she's been eating regularly, especially to keep her mind focused for studying, and we've been trying to change up foods to not have too many repetitive meals.

"I think I want to work with athletes. I'm not sure what, maybe medical? Training?" She says, curiosity on her face as she looks up from her math text book.

"You'd be good at it." I tell her. She'd be great at anything with her will power, but she's always interested in athletics. "You've already taken some good classes that can work with that, right?"

She nods, trying to hide her grin. Winter always gets giddy when she talks about her passions, only having a few that she works specifically harder on than everything else.

"What about you?" She asks, closing the textbook, apparently done with studying for now.

"I don't know. Maybe a social worker?" It comes out as a question because genuinely, I've tried not to think about it.

"Watching you at swim lessons, I know you'll be great at working with kids. You care about people, even if you try to hide it." She taps her foot at mine and I love the simple act of affection.

"Maybe. I hope so." I reply, shrugging. I really want to work with kids— I'm able to block out emotion when I need to but I can also feel so much.

"You're cute." She tells me, out of nowhere. I'm so not cute right now— wearing pajamas in the lounge with my hair in a bun— at least what hasn't already fallen out.

I think I blush a little, even after I try not to. She's too perfect. How can you think about a person completely different after only a few months?

Because I used to hate this woman, never wanting to be in the same few feet of her. For Christ's sake, I punched her.

Then I fell in love with her?

+++

The last swim meet of the year; also our last meet at this school. I don't know how to feel about it all. We had a great year and I'll cherish it forever, even with my team consistently hating on me.